Come Back, My Love!
by littlemissvampire21
Summary: Leon betrayed her. She ran away not knowing if she were to come back. A mysterious struggle to one of our favorite couples.SoraLeon
1. Chapter 1: Betrayal

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot.

A/N: This is my second Kaleido Star story. I hope you all like it. Since, well, I guess, you could kind of say it went well, but anyway...since 'what the future holds' is going so well, I decided to expand my writing flexibility with a drama. Yes, this is another SoraLeon thing, so if you don't like that couple, deal with it. Okay no just kidding, but I will also be writing some LaylaYuri in the future. Again just please please please comment.

Chapter 1

Betrayal

I walked down the pathways toward the dorms. Leon said he wanted to meet me there. I was hoping that we could talk things through. After all, there had been rumors going around that our relationship was coming to an end. I sure hope it's not though. He may be cold on the outside, but there is a caring, sweet heart on the inside.

_Hmm...doors unlocked. Might as well let myself in._ Sora thought to herself as she reached his dorm. There, she was astounded by the sight of Leon and May doing some -very sinful things.- Her first reaction was to run away. In which she did.

Sora ran far away. As far away from him and May as she could. The thought of them betraying her; the thought that her lover and her rival had an affair ripped through her. Just a few days ago he said that 'he loved her' and now he does this? Sora wanted to get out of there.

She wanted to leave Kaleido Stage for good. Her heart smashed into a million pieces. As she was running, she didn't even notice the drops of water falling down her face. She didn't notice the person running after her. It was Leon.

He knew what he had done and he knew the consequences. So why was he mad at himself? It was of his own free will to start out with May. He knew that Sora would find out sometime.

The thought came in his mind_ Am I being selfish. I am hurting two girls with so much potential for my own personal desire. Yes, I love Sora. With all my heart I do, but I feel as if she isn't giving me enough. And that is why I went to May. She was practically offering herself to me. What kind of a gentleman would I be, if I didn't accept her gift?_ Leon continued to run. He was still pondering on his mistake.

Sora gave him almost everything he wanted. She was there for his support. Last summer, when they went to visit Sophie's grave, she was by his side the whole time crying with him. When he wanted sex, she gave it to him, but in conservative ways. Of course, Leon being his obvious self, didn't like that she did that.

He continually told her that she had to be more open to him. After all, he wanted a child with her. She finally let him in though.

At that point, Leon wanted to smack himself silly. How could he be so stupid as if to let Sora get out of his reach? Why would he betray her? He continued to run after her calling her name. "Sora!"

Sora didn't listen, she heard him, but didn't listen. She quickly packed her bags, and told Kalos that she was going to take a break for a little bit. He nodded his head curiously and only asked one question.

"When will you come back?" he said, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't know." Sora whispered walking out the door, luggage in hand.

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She reached the airport just on time to catch her flight to France. It was the only place where people could leave her alone. At first, she had wanted to go back home to Japan, but decided it would be too hard to face her family in the eye. Yes, she was a coward, but she didn't care.

As she boarded the flight and took her seat, Sora thought of Leon. Though she knew that he had betrayed her, a part of her still had feelings for him. The plane took off and there was no going back now.

Thirteen hours went by in an instant, as they arrived in Paris at around 6:00 their time. Sora found her luggage quickly and moved on. She went up to random people asking where the nearest hotel was.

They were nice enough to point a few out. Once she exchanged her American money into euros, she was off.

As she walked out of the Paris Airport, she waved for a taxi.

"L'hotel de Hamilton, s'il vous plait." she said to the taxi driver.

Sora decided to stay at a 'Hamilton' in order to help her friend Layla out.

_That reminds me, I haven't told Layla yet! Let alone Rossetta, Anna, Mia, Yuri, and Ken!_ Sora lean back in the cushions of the cab; she closed her eyes. She was thinking to herself, but the driver interrupted.

"Mademoiselle."

"Oh, Merci moiseur." she said as she stepped out of the cab and payed the driver.

She looked up at the twenty-five story building that lay in front of her. She casually walked into the hotel with her luggage right behind her.

She walked up to the front desk. "Je voudrais une chambre, s'il vous plait." she said politely.

"D'accord."

"Merci, beacoup."

She carelessly walked towards the elevator and pushed the button with the number twenty-one on it. Her room number was 2104. As she reached her floor and opened her door, she was amazed at how exquisite the room was. _No wonder it's five star._ she thought to herself while roaming around the room.

_Tomorrow I will start looking for a house. I know that it will be hard. Honestly, I don't mind what size as long as it is affordable._ She made plans for the next day.

She was going to look for a house somewhere near the perimeter of Paris. She knew that there would be a few circus' around here that are willing to hire her, so she's good for a job.

Sora looked out the window. The city was filled with lights. She just couldn't believe that she had actually done this. Though, at this point, she didn't regret it...yet.

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Leon paced up and down the corridor. He was in front of Kalos' office. Leon needed to speak to him about Sora; he needed to know where she was to apologize. 

Kalos opened the door to see Leon.

"What are you doing here?" Kalos said.

"Have you seen Sora?" It was apparent that Leon hadn't slept all night. Dark circles were under his eyes, his stinch was enough by itself.

Kalos covered his nose, "She's gone."

"What do you mean she is gone?!"

"I mean she left yesterday." Kalos shot back.

"Do you know where she went?" Leon whispered in a desperate plee.

"I'm afraid not, but if it were my best guess, I would guess back to her family or someplace where she loved." Kalos implied.

"Thank you." Leon walked away and paused at the doorway. "Oh, and I might be gone for a little while."

"Of course you will. Who else am I supposed to put on stage?" Kalos complained.

"You'll find somebody." Leon winked and walked out of the room. He was going to find Sora and tell her how he felt, even if his life depended on it.

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A/N: Hope you liked it. To me, I guess it could be better, but I guess it'll do for now. Please tell me of any mistakes that I made. Again R&R.


	2. Chapter 2: Regret

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: I have really good ideas for this story, so I might not be updating 'what the future holds' for awhile. Of course, I'll try my best to get both of them updated, at the least weekly. If not hopefully every so often. This is the time for exams, and being a stupid person makes me need to study more than most. Well, anyways, I'll probably update most of my chapters on the weekends.

Oh, and I would like to thank all of my readers. I love all of you. (Not in that way, but you know what I mean)

Chapter 2

Regret

Leon's POV...

Sora, what have I done to you? The state that I am now is all because you have run away. I made a mistake, but that's what most men do. They sleep with other women, get caught, and then regret it. Don't you see Sora, I love you.

The things that we have been through, the sights we have seen together, I just can't forget those. Don't you remember the time in France? A beggar came up to us asking for money. I straight up said 'NO' but you encouraged me to give him just a little bit. So, I did. You gave me one of your famous smiles and right then and there, I felt the urge to smile back.

That was the day, you let me have what I wanted with you. I was so ecstatic. You were finally letting me in to the deepest, darkest, sexiest part of you.

Of course, now it is all over. I may never have the chance to tell you this, but Sora, I wanted you to marry me.

Oh, please Sora, please forgive me.

May's POV...

God, what have I done? Now, both Sora and Leon hate me. I guess I was just jealous, but how could I be so indecent. Giving my body to Leon, tricking him into my evil scheme, of course, he was the imbecile to fall for it, but that was his own fault.

Sora always gave me encouragement. So, what do I hate about her? Maybe it was the fact that she had everything and didn't even know it. She got the 'True Star' position taken away from me. That was always my dream, to become a Kaleido Star. She even took the man that I thought would complete me. Yes, I loved him, but only when I found out that he loved her, then I became obsessed.

The only way I could possibly think of to get rid of their little fun, was to make him go against her. It wasn't as easy as I thought. Leon was adamant and wasn't like most guys I seduce. He had a lot of will and a lot of love for Sora, so it was hard to trap him, but once he was down, he couldn't get out.

I took my evil scheme too far though. Sora is off someplace and she may never come back. And this is all because of me.

Apparently, I am her replacement, but I know that the crowds will be minimal and that the applause won't be as grand.

Both Sora and Leon have a special presence up on that stage. When you put them together, it makes a 'true' show. They are especially great when they express their feelings. Sora is lovely, always smiling, while Leon is cold, dark, and mysterious. Who knew that such opposites...could attract?

Sora's POV...

The days have been slower, the nights as well. It has only been one day, but yet it has seemed like a million. The thought pops up in my mind every waking minute. The thought of him betraying me.

Maybe, I haven't shown my affection as well as I could, but he didn't want me too. He specifically told me not to. Though, I can't help, but regret my own actions. If only I were there with him more often or maybe if I would just let him have me in bed.

I don't know what I should do. God, I'm such a fool. I wanted him so badly. He tempted me with his long hair. He tempted me with his violet eyes. He gave me so many chances with him, but I always looked the opposite direction.

I guess it is partly me fault for not putting him on a leash. Maybe, it is my fault for not watching his every movement. Of course, I am not that obsessive and I know he wouldn't like that, but maybe, that is what I should've done.

In fact, I know that is what I should've done. I guess you just can't trust guys, especially the ones you love.

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A/N: Well, hope you like it. It's a little on the short side, but I really wanted to do this chapter. You know, most of the time, you don't get the chance to actually get into the characters mind and I thought this would be a good idea. Please Review! 


	3. Chapter 3: Flight

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Chapter 3

Flight

It's been a couple of days since Sora decided to take off. Leon broke up with May. She didn't seem that surprised. In fact, she even wanted to apologize for her actions. If it were the old Leon, he wouldn't have accepted it, but he knew that Sora wouldn't be happy so all he said was "don't do it again."

After thinking about it for a week or so, Leon decided to go look for Sora. At first, he was undecided, not knowing whether she wanted him to or not, but he knew that he wanted to. Leon was on his way to the airport.

He was thinking of starting off in Japan. Sora might have visited her family for comfort and support. As he ran to cross a street, he didn't notice the car coming for him.

Luckily, Jerry, the policeman, braked right on time. Leon was, for a moment, in shock. He didn't realize that he had almost been killed only a few mere minutes ago. Leon got over it though and asked Mr. Policeman if he could get a ride.

"Well, of course you can." Jerry smiled.

"Thanks." Leon said, out of breath. He had ran quite a distance, but he didn't care; he didn't want to miss his flight.

This was his only hope to find Sora. If he doesn't find her...he stopped at the thought.

"Are you okay?" A look of concern flashed across Jerry's face.

"Yes. I'm just tired." Leon said, sounding a bit arrogant.

They drove in silence for most of the drive. Jerry didn't really feel comfortable with Leon and Leon didn't like Jerry. Of course, Leon didn't like half of Sora's other friends as well. He merely looked out the window to see a sheet of white covering all of the buildings in town. There was a great fog and they could hardly see anything.

"We're here." Mr. Policeman said.

"Thank you." Leon said as he stepped out of the car. He didn't bring any luggage. All he brought was the clothes on his back and himself, of course. He walked casually into the airport, trying to blend in with the other normal people surrounding him. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work.

Within, a few minutes of walking into the Cape Mary Airport, crowds of people circled around him. Little kids were going up to him, asking for an autograph. The paparazzi was taking pictures of him, the lights of their cameras almost blinding him. Girls screaming out his name or 'I love you.'

He tried not to pay attention to them. After all, he was going to miss his flight. However, they continued to follow him everywhere. Moms telling their kids not to be shy and still girls screaming his name. Leon sighed as he reached his gate.

This is what it is like for a celebrity. So many people are revolving their world around you. Leon was trying to read one of his novels, but he couldn't concentrate and decided to give up all together. During the last thirty minutes of waiting, he signed autographs and took pictures. He didn't smile, but it would be better than a stolen shot. He wanted to look good on the cover of _Sports Illustrated._

Just then, the intercom boomed with sound. "We are now boarding. Please have your boarding passes ready." a lady called out.

Leon slowly got up and stretched before joining the rest of the passengers for the long flight ahead of them.

He handed his boarding pass off to the lady at the desk. She quickly scanned it and gave it back to him. Once that was over with, he stepped through the glass doors that lead to the plane. It was still a bit foggy, but he could make out some of the vehicles that were used to carry the luggage onto the plane.

He boarded the plane and took his seat. Once in position, he decided to give reading one more chance. Of course it didn't work. A girl, about 17 years of age, came up to sit beside him.

"Hello." she said.

Leon took his eyes off the book and raised his head slowly. "Hello."

"I'm a really big fan of yours, Mr. Oswald." the girl said.

_Great, just what I need, another crazed, obsessed fan. This is going to be quite an adventure._ Leon thought to himself as he rolled his eyes.

To his surprise, it wasn't as annoying as he had thought. She was sweet, sensitive, and only talked when she knew he was listening.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Maria." she finally said after talking to him for about an hour.

"Oh, okay. I guess I really don't have to tell you my name." Leon shrugged.

"Well, of course not, silly. But Mr. Oswald, as I was saying before, I think you and Ms. Naegino are perfect on stage." Maria continued.

"Well, thank you."

"You both seem to really have passion for it. I've never seen anything like it."

"Maria, can I tell you something?" Leon asked eyeing her carefully.

"I guess so."

"Sora is the one with the passion for the stage. She will override her limits just to have a good performance. That is what I admire about her. She never gives up. Almost nothing can bring her down. As for myself, I don't deserve to be on the same stage as her." Leon stopped. He thought of the promise he made to Sophie.

"Oh, don't say that." Maria exclaimed.

"But, it is true. I am only continuing this because of her. Such power, and spirit, I am honored to be her partner." Leon continued.

"Well, the real love for each other must affect you guys on stage." Maria pointed out.

"You don't know how much it has." Leon whispered soft enough that no one could hear.

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Tokyo, Japan...

Leon stretched out his arms and yawned. He hadn't slept all throughout the flight. Instead, he was too busy talking to Maria. She told him things that he would have never thought about himself.

He actually enjoyed her company. Leon smiled for a mere few seconds and walked toward baggage claim. He looked around to see families with little kids. His heart fell at the sight of that. At that moment, he thought about Sora.

_Oh, Sora, where are you?_

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A/N: Well, that's all for now. I have a really good idea for the next chapter and I'll get started on it...right now! It will bring sort of a little spin to this dramatic story. Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4: Reality

Disclaimer: I do not own the plot.

A/N: This will probably my last update for this weekend. I'll write more throughout the week. Well, hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 4

Reality

Sora walked down the ever so crowded streets of Paris. She found her own house near the southwest boarder of Paris. From there, she can see the beautiful palace of Versailles. So far, she hasn't had any trouble with anything in Paris. She can speak some French thanks to Leon and has been learning more ever since she got there.

Today, she is on her way to work. She was accepted by the traveling Paris circus. They roam all across Europe and she is now their main attraction.

Of course, she is not the only one with talent there. In fact, she's been getting to see a new side of things ever since she started there. People always think of circus people as freaks, but they are some of the nicest people she has ever met. Of course, Sora is always positive, so even if they were weird she wouldn't think so.

As she walked into the enclosed tent, she was greeted by her fellow performers.

"Hi Sora."

"Hello Sora."

"Salut Sora."

Everyone knew her there. She greeted them all back, calling each of them by name. Pierre, Anne, Lea, and Jean-Paul all smiled back. These four all had great talent. Pierre was the juggler for the circus. He could juggle almost anything including people.

Lea and Jean-Paul were a comedy act and they helped out with the little kids. Finally, Anne was her fellow trapeze partner. She was really good at doing flips and twirls. Anne also did the balance beam, bars, and floor.

They rounded up and discussed the performance for tonight. Sora and Anne made up a special routine that showed off all of their skills. Pierre was practicing for his juggling act, in which he said he was going to use full length katanas, and Lea and Jean-Paul said they were working on their comedy act.

So far, they were all prepared. As their boss, Mr. Baldon, crossed the surface, they all looked up.

"How are you guys doing?" he asked with a heavy French accent. (Sora wasn't that good at French, she still had much more to learn)

"We're doing fine, Monsieur Baldon." Sora replied.

They were all set for the show that was going to happen at six.

"Good, the show is sold out."

Everyone was shocked. They had never had a sold out show before.

"Good luck." he said as he exited.

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Back at Sora's house...

Sora had to rest before her show. Lately, she had been feeling tired, and she doesn't know why. She decided to take a little nap before the show.

When she woke up she noticed that it was around four and she had to be there at 4:30. She quickly rushed to get herself dressed and slammed her door shut.

Sora quickly walked down her street. It was about a half a mile walk to get there. The day was still in full motion as people around her started to become blurry. She found herself light headed and found her vision going black.

When Sora finally awoke, she found herself at the hospital. She slowly opened her eyes to see the rest of the circus cast and Mr. Baldon. She couldn't speak because she was so tired, but she soon got over that.

"Wait a minute. What about the show! What are we going to do?! There are a bunch of people out there waiting for us. Oh no. I'm so sorry you guys." Sora started babbling on and on with 'I'm sorry' or 'what about the audience.'

Mr. Baldon stopped her. "It's been cancelled. We refunded all of them or we gave them a ticket to another show with a better seat."

Sora was calm now. "Okay, but really I'm sorry."

They all sighed; she had only said that for the millionth time since she woke up. Just then the nurse walked in.

"Visiting hours are over. I'm afraid you guys must leave. Sora will stay here to recover for a little while longer. She hit her head on the cement as she fainted." the nurse said.

They all nodded and walked out of the room. Sora nodded as well, waving good-bye to them and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Dr. Ray stepped into Sora's room as she was sleeping. He wanted to run some tests.

He gave her a blood test, blood pressure test, and many others. The nurse walked in.

"Here you go doctor." she smiled.

"Merci." he said.

He gave Sora one last test. He wasn't sure what the results might add up to, but he wanted to know why she fainted. It may have been from over exposure to sunlight for all he knew, but he had to know, in order for her to get better.

He walked out of the room for a second, while the nurse gave her the test. He didn't feel very comfortable, having Sora asleep and not asking her for permission. So, he let his fellow partner do it for him.

She came out of the room, running.

"It's positive." she sighed, excited still.

"I thought so." Dr. Ray replied.

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The next morning...

Sora woke up. She hadn't slept like that for awhile. As she sat up in bed, she could feel a huge pain in her stomach. Just then, Dr. Ray and the nurse she saw yesterday walked in.

"Bonjour, Sora." he greeted her. "We have some news for you."

"Good or bad?" Sora asked rubbing her head. She could still feel the pain.

"Well, it depends." the nurse said, she was giddy today for some reason.

"Sora, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but we gave you a few tests yesterday and..." Dr. Ray paused.

"And?" Sora asked confused.

"Sora, we gave you a pregnancy test." Dr. Ray spit out.

"Um, okay?" Sora felt so violated and she probably showed it as well because Dr. Ray backed away.

"No, you don't understand. She gave it to you." He pointed at the nurse.

"Oh, okay."

"Sora, anyways, let me get back to what I was saying. Sora, you're pregnant."

Sora nodded her head for awhile, not absorbing anything he had said. She just looked confused, thinking it was a joke. Then, sense knocked her in the head. She stopped laughing.

"Um, you're not joking, are you?" she asked a little nervous.

"No, we're not." Dr. Ray answered.

"But how?" she asked again.

They felt a little uncomfortable answering that. "You know how babies are made, Ms. Naegino. Do you need to tell the father?" he asked.

Sora wanted to tell Leon, but she already knew what his reaction would be. She sighed. "No, it's okay."

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A/N: Please review. This chapter seemed a little rushed to me because my mom kept on barging in on me and told me to study, so I had to hurry this one up. Well, again critisim is adviced. 


	5. Chapter 5: Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot and the crazy old man who drives Leon around Japan in this chapter. .

Warning: There is crappy translations in this chapter. I don't take Japanese, so if you do and would like to help me out in that field please feel free to do so.

A/N: This is a pretty crazy chapter. I hope you enjoy it, though. Chapter 5 everyone!

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Chapter 5

Hope

_Sadness can fill anyone in an instant, including one that is filled with ecstacy year round. _Leon took a deep breath. He remembered those words that Sophie spoke of so long ago.

As he walked out of the airport, his eyes were shocked as bright rays streamed across the blue, clear sky. No clouds were in sight. Leon could see cars of all shapes and sizes passing by the pick-up lane. He could see little compact cars, and mini vans. They were all shapes and sizes.

Leon, however, was looking for one in particular.

In an instant, he could see what he was looking for. It was quite a distance away, but he could see a taxi stand, near Concourse A. He continued to walk towards the stand, while enjoying the nice whether. Leon always felt at ease when he went here.

Of course, the last time he was here, Sora was with him. Leon stepped into a taxi. It was jet black with little stickers on the sides advertising some sort of sake.

"Konnichi wa." A man smiled from the drivers seat. He had the typical Asian look and seemed pretty happy.

"Konnichi wa." Leon answered back. He didn't know much Japanese. In fact that was pretty much all he knew. Well, except for -baka no hito- which Sora often called him.

"Doko? (Where?)" said the man in the front seat.

Leon shook his head. "Wakarismasen. (I don't know. As in, he doesn't understand.)"

The driver nodded. He turned back around and started to open his mouth once again.

"You no speak Japanese, eh?" he said with a heavy accent. As a matter of fact, his grammar wasn't so hot either.

"No." Leon simply replied.

"You know where you're going?"

"Yes. I would like to go to 145 Chung-Rue." Leon said.

"Oh, okay, I know where that is." the driver said.

"Really? That's nice."

"Of course it is. I live there!" he smiled and laughed.

"Oh, so you live there?"

"Yea. My neighbor's daughter, she is in America. I heard that was a nice place. Very nice place in deed. She went there for some Kaleido something. I forgot what it was called. There she found this really nice man. Well, at least I heard he was nice." The driver started to babble on and on and Leon decided to ignore it, until he realized what he was actually saying.

Leon noticed him say something about Kaleido Stage. "Wait. Did you say Kaleido Stage?"

"No. I said Kaleido something." the old man laughed.

"Your neighbor's daughter, what's her name?" Leon asked shortly after.

"Sora. Sora Naegino."

Leon gasped. It's amazing how one life connects to another, one culture to another, one heart to another. "S-Sora." Leon whispered in a desperate plea.

He, then realized, that he might have a chance. "Wait. Is she here right now? Your neighbor's daughter?"

"Um, I don't think so." He said scratching his chin.

Leon took a deep breath. He got his hopes up for nothing. "Do you know where she could be?" He said as if it were his last cry for help.

"No. I thought she was still in Kaleido Stage. Why are you so interested in her?"

Leon looked up. "-Because I need to tell her something. It's important."

The old man smiled. "You'll find her. I believe in you. You know, you should never give up on something or **someone.** If they love you enough, they'll come back in an instant."

"Thank you." Leon smiled up at him.

"Doo itashimashite. (your welcome)" he smiled back.

Leon stepped out of the car. The driver called out to him. "That'll be 40yen."

Leon gasped. Since when was it so expensive. It wasn't that far from the airport, but Leon wasn't in the mood to argue, so he gave him the money and smiled as he walked away.

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Leon reached the Naegino Apartment. He hesitated before knocking on the door. Who knows? The cab driver may have been wrong.

Mr. Naegino opened the door. "Who is-oh, Leon what a surprise. Where's Sora?"

Leon sighed. "I don't know. I thought she would be here."

"_Well_, why did you think that? Where is she?" Mr. Naegino was surprised. Apparently, Sora hadn't told anyone just yet.

"She's taking a little vacation from me and I don't know where she is." Leon was trying to find a better way to cover it up, but he failed.

"So, what did you do to make her leave you!" Mr. Naegino was outraged. He didn't know where his daughter was.

"Um, I'll explain it to you later. Right now, I have to go find her. Nice seeing you again." Leon said, slowly backing away from the front door. "Bye, Mr. Naegino."

Mr. Naegino tried to chase after him, but Leon was too fast. _Where could she be?_ Leon thought as he ran past local citizens and cute, Japanese boutiques.

_I've already tried Japan. Maybe, I'm not thinking enough. Sora, where the hell are you? _Leon continued to run, he didn't know where he was running to, but hopefully, closer to Sora.

_Ha. I know where she is! She's in New York with Layla! She has to be. It's my only other chance._ Leon finally came up with the idea. He quickly turned himself around and went to the nearest airport.

_Sora, you better forgive me for this. Now, I have to go back on that 17 hour flight plus an extra 5 hours to get to New York. _Leon thought as he rushed into an airport. He saw crowds of people hovering over the ticket stands.

Leon got in line. It was long, but Sora was worth it.

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A/N: Okay, that's the end of this chapter. Again please R&R. I have really great chapters up ahead -well I hope.- I guess I should really say, I have great ideas for the chapters coming. Layla is coming in really soon. Maybe in the next chapter -hint hint.- 


	6. Chapter 6: Reassurance

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: Okay, well since I gave you that little hint in the last chapter, you should all know who's coming in this chapter. If you guessed Ken, Mia, Anna, Rossetta, or anyone else other than Layla...YOUR WRONG. Yes, Layla is in this chapter. Well, hope you enjoy it!

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Chapter 6

Reassurance

Sora sat down on her bed. Her belly was still pretty flat. In fact, she almost didn't notice that she was pregnant. She got up slowly, and stretched for a bit before walking out of the small house.

Sora had to take a break from the Paris Circus for a bit. The manager happily agreed that she should rest. He canceled most of their shows, that way she wouldn't feel pressured to make a big comeback. Anne, Jean-Paul, Lea, and Pierre were all on her side as well.

Anne was especially considerate. She had always wanted something exciting to go on. After all, she was raised with strict parents and didn't get to see much of the world.

She continually asked Sora questions like _What are you going to name it? _or _Who's the father? _At first, Sora got a little annoyed at the incessant questioning, but she got used to it after awhile.

She made her way to the therapist that she sees once a week. It's the only thing that can keep her relaxed. Everything that has been going on recently, has been kind of a hassle for her.

Sora really needs someone to hold on to. She reached the therapist's door and twisted the knob. Sora was greeted by her helper.

"Come on in. Dr. Liliax will be here in a second." the lady said with a slight French accent.

"Merci." Sora nodded and sat down.

A few minutes later, Dr. Liliax walked in. "Are you ready?"

Sora nodded and followed her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York City...

"What the hell?! Where is she?!" Layla was outraged at what she had just found out. "What do you mean Sora is gone?"

She marched to her bedroom and started to pack. Layla was going to look for her. No matter what it took, she was going to knock some sense into that girl.

"Kathy!"

"What?" Kathy, the sassy producer, replied.

"Where is my coat?" Layla yelled out from her enclosed bedroom.

"Why?" Kathy didn't expect that.

"I'm going to France." Layla replied.

Once her bag was all packed, she said her 'goodbyes' and walked out of the New York penthouse. Kathy and the others were in a state of confusion at this point, but they continued to work on their new Broadway production after a moment of silence.

"Come on, let's get moving. She'll come back sooner or later." Kathy commanded everyone.

Layla took a cab to a small airport. There, a pilot was standing and waving to her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He finally asked as she approached.

"Of course. What would you do in this situation?" She shot back.

He shrugged and gestured for her to get in the private jet. Layla was satisfied and took his gesture. She sat near the back of the small jet. There, she tried to sooth herself by reading a short book and listening to her iPod. After awhile, she felt the urge to drink something.

She pushed a small button on the edge of her seat, and someone was immediately at her service.

"What would you like, Miss Layla?" a young girl, about age sixteen, asked.

"Oh, I would just like some Sparkling Apple Juice please." Layla was so graceful as she recited what she wanted as if she had practiced it in a mirror for thirty minutes.

The young girl nodded and went to the kitchen. She quickly returned with a glass of sparkling apple juice and smiled.

Layla took the glass off the tray and carefully sipped the liquid inside. If she was going to be in this jet for nine hours, she might as well do it in style.

She looked out of the window to see the lights of Paris. The Eiffel Tour was beaming with four, huge spotlights on the four base legs. Layla could also see the intricate details on some of the world's most famous landmarks. She breathed deeply as they approached their destination.

"Miss Layla, um, we're here." the young girl interrupted.

"Oh, thank you for the notice." she turned her head from the view and smiled at the young one.

"It's around 7:00pm here, if you want to set up your watch."

"Thank you."

Layla stepped out of the jet. A breeze filled the air as Layla shivered slightly. She wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and stepped down. Layla then made her way across the field where a cab was waiting for her.

Luckily, she had prearranged this, and didn't have to wait long. She asked the cab driver to bring her to the Paris Circus. The driver nodded.

As they slowly reached a stop, she could see a giant tent in front of her. The ropes that held it together were all lit up and the red and yellow stripes made it pop out. Layla slowly made her way to the inside. When she got in, she was amazed at how big and different it was than Kaleido Stage. Instead of an actual stage, it had packed dirt, that way the elephants and horses could -do their business.-

Lines of bleachers lined the perimeter of the stage. It was empty, though._ I wonder why?_ Layla thought to herself. She invited herself backstage, where she found Mr. Baldon's office.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Layla hesitated.

She saw a girl coming out of the second door. "Oh, hello." she said.

"Um, hi, why isn't anyone here?" Layla asked.

"Oh, that's because one of our performers can't perform for awhile, so we canceled all of the shows." the girl replied.

"Is she really that important?" Layla asked, once again, amazed that a whole circus would shut down for the loss of one performer.

"Yes. Sora is our top star. If we don't have her, the show can't go on." the girl explained.

Layla nodded, absorbing everything in. "Wait, did you say Sora?!"

"Why, yes."

"Do you know where she is right now?" Layla asked quickly. She wanted to find Sora, now.

"I'm pretty sure she is at her house."

"D'accord, merci!" Layla said as she ran off.

She quickly jumped into the cab and repeated the address that the young girl said to her earlier. The cab zoomed as it raced to get to Sora's house. It finally stopped in front of an apartment complex.

Layla got out and looked up. Number 101, she repeated to herself over and over. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted it around. Layla quickly stepped inside. It was dimly lit and it was a little scary at first, but Layla got over that feeling. She quickly walked up the flight of stairs and found Room 101.

Layla knocked on the door three times, loudly. The door opened. In front of her eyes, Layla saw Sora.

"Sora!" Layla said, as she barged into the little complex.

Sora was confused. "Um, Layla, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Layla frowned. "Why didn't you tell me you were running away? Do you know how outraged I was to hear it from one of my maids? I thought keenly, knowing that you wouldn't want to face your family, and you always admired France, so I gave it a shot."

"I'm sorry Layla. I didn't mean to harm you, or anyone in that matter. It's just, I felt so betrayed." Tears fell down Sora face. She didn't even know it.

Layla hugged her, holding her up. "It's okay, Sora."

They stood in that position for at least ten minutes. Sora finally stopped weeping and was strong enough to invite Layla inside. They sat on the couch for awhile and just talked.

"Sora, a girl from the circus told me that you aren't able to perform. Why is that?" Layla finally asked. The thought had been edging her mind for awhile now.

"Who told you that?" Sora said questionably.

"I don't know, someone from the circus."

"Um, if you must know...I-I'm p-pregnant." Sora hesitated.

"What?!" Layla almost spit out the orange juice she was drinking at the moment.

"I-I'm sorry, Layla. I should have told you sooner. I just-" She began to weep again.

Layla held her like a baby, lightly stroking her hair. "Sora, it's okay. It must be hard for you." Layla said, noticing the recent events.

"I'm always here for you." Layla whispered as Sora closed her eyes. That night, she had no nightmares, nor dreams, just memories.

* * *

A/N: That's the end of chapter 6! Well, I hope you like it. This is the first time Layla appears in this fic and I have to say, she makes this story more interesting. So, what do you think about it so far? Do you hate it? Love it? Well, I can only find out if you review! 


	7. Chapter 7: Prize

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

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Chapter 7

Prize

Leon hopped in a taxi. He had to find Sora. His only hope was to find her here in New York City. If she wasn't...Leon couldn't even think of the thought. He knew that he would find her, no matter what it took.

The taxi pulled to a stop. When he got out, Leon saw Layla's picture on the huge billboard advertising their new show "The Twilight Dawned on Her." He shrugged and walked inside the building. The lights were dim, but he could hear voices from the background.

As he walked closer to the stage, they got louder and more clear.

"You, the lights aren't right. They are supposed to be red, not blue." A voice of an overpowering woman sounded. _She seems like Layla._ Leon thought.

He neared the curtain and took a peek behind it. Kathy was standing in front of a small group of people yelling out orders.

"Kathy?" Leon said quietly.

It wasn't quiet enough. She stopped her bickering and turned to face Leon.

"Leon?! What the hell are you doing here?" she spoke.

"Where is Layla?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you?" she shot back. That is so like Kathy, always bringing sass to the stage.

"Please." Leon added.

"Well, if you must know, she isn't here right now." Kathy said.

"Well, could you tell me where she is?" Leon was getting irritated. Why couldn't she just tell him.

Kathy sighed. "I don't know." she whispered.

"What?!" Leon yelled out.

"Well you heard me, I DON'T KNOW!!!" she shot back in an instant.

Leon backed away from the curtains, cursing beneath his breath. _How could you lose a person?_ he thought. _But then again, I lost Sora. That was different though. It's not like I couldn't find her. Well, yea, actually it is like that. In fact, that's the only reason I'm here._ Leon sighed. He sounded so pitiful.

"Can you at least give me any leads?" he asked, softly.

"Well, let's see. Last week, when Miss Layla heard that Sora had gone missing, she yelled and went to her room to pack." Kathy said.

"Oh, so she found out." Leon asked.

"Yea. What happened between you two anyways? You seemed perfectly fine the last visit." She commented.

"You don't want to know." Leon spoke, looking at the empty auditorium behind him.

"Ah, I see."

"So, did she tell you where she was going?" Leon turned around.

"Yes. Oh, what did she say again." Kathy said, trying to think of what Layla had said just a mere week ago.

"Come on, Kathy. Think!" Leon encouraged her.

"Um, somewhere in Europe? Where was it?"

"That's all I needed to know. Thank you!" Leon said as he ran out of the cold and dark auditorium. As he opened the doors to the outside, wind swooshed in his long, silver locks.

He quickly ran to the closest hotel. It was around noon, but he knew he couldn't get a flight so easily. The airport is crowded at this time of day. Leon decided to get a ticket via Internet. He found a hotel off a side street. Luckily for him, they had a few rooms available.

As they swiped his card, he thanked them and ran off, no luggage in hand.

"That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. You think he left his luggage on the plane?" the person on the check-in desk commented.

"Who knows? It's amazing what you'll see in New York. Remember last week?" the other said.

"Oh yea. The freak show. That was kind of creepy."

They both nodded in agreement.

* * *

Leon got to his room. He quickly whipped out his laptop and started to search. Clicking to the 'Internet' link, Leon quickly typed in the website name and searched for any open slots on flights to London. He found one, it was for tomorrow. Leon dealt with the facts and bought the ticket. He, then printed out the papers and he was all set. 

Leon sighed. He had at least narrowed the field to a continent. Now all he has to do is search every single country on that continent.

_I'll start off with England, then maybe I'll go to Bulgaria. Sora always said she wanted to go to Spain. _Leon was trying narrow the field even more. Of course, it never came to his mind that Sora would be in France. Why would she be? It only reminded her of him, and the Lord knows that she wouldn't want to be reminded of him. At least, not now.

Leon sat on the fluffy white bed, set in the center of the room. He had rushed so quickly, that he hadn't enjoyed the view. As he looked around the room, Leon noticed small details like the crown molding and the carving on the headboard. The room was a relaxing shade of green and it had a magnificent view.

Leon looked out the window. Astonished, he stared into the nightlight of New York City. He walked towards it, pacing himself. As he looked down, he could see the cars stuck in traffic.

He just laughed. "Well, at least I'm not in that mess."

Leon took a deep breath and sighed. He went back to the bed. Why couldn't he stop think of her? May even told him that the relationship wouldn't last long. And indeed, it hadn't. It only lasted for a year.

Leon gently closed his eyes, falling asleep without changing his clothes. Not like he had anything to change into. That night, he dreamed of the last moments with her. He was running, chasing after her.

"Sora, come back, my love!" he was yelling out.

She couldn't hear him. Sora never turned around. Never to come back, she continued to run.

Leon stopped, gradually slowing down. "Sora." he whispered.

Leon woke up, gasping for air. He didn't like nightmares. Looking around the room, he noticed the brightly lit digital clock on the side table. It said 1:02 A.M. Laying back down, Leon stared up to the ceiling. He was so close to his prize.

* * *

A/N: That's all for Chapter Seven. I hope you liked it. It's ironic, that I always have good ideas for what Sora's doing, but never for Leon. You would have thought that since he's the one going from country to country, he would be more exciting to write about. Well, he is a necessary part to this story and I'm not just going to drop him. Besides, I have a lot more BETTER ideas for him in the upcoming chapters! Stay Tuned if you want to find out. 


	8. Chapter 8: History

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: This is the eighth chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Since Sora is in 'France' right now and she's on break, what else would she do beside sightseeing?

* * *

Chapter 8

History

"Sora?" Layla called out.

"I'm in here." Layla could hear a faint voice coming from the kitchen. She shrugged and walked towards it, hoping to find her friend. When she reached it, she found Sora in an apron making some eggs and by the looks of it, bacon as well.

"Oh, Sora, you don't have to do that. I'll make them for you." Layla offered, coming closer.

"Um, Layla, no offense, but remember last time you tried to make something." Sora acknowledged.

Layla had been in her own kitchen making some coffee, eggs, and toast. Of course, since it was her first time she didn't really know how to do anything. She put the toast in the toaster, in which she actually knew how to do. Unfortunately, that's where it stopped.

She burnt the toast, leaving it in for about 45 minutes in a hot toaster. The eggs caught on fire because she wasn't watching the stove and the firemen had to come over to wash it out. Sora was amazed to see one thing come out of the kitchen. Layla brought out a cup of coffee after almost an hour in the kitchen.

She smiled as she took the coffee from Layla's hands. Sora was so proud of her, but as she took a sip from the cup, she could taste bitterness. The beans weren't grounded and it basically tasted like coffee beans in water. When Sora looked down, she found out that it was coffee beans in water. Layla shrugged and drank some. Soon after, she spit it out, saying it was gross.

Layla remembered that time. "That was my first time." Layla explained herself.

"And your last." Sora laughed.

"Fine, but I was only trying to help." Layla said taking a seat on the leather couch in the living area.

Within the next few minutes, Sora came out to meet Layla. She was carrying a big tray filled with eggs and bacon. Sora also handed her some coffee.

"This is how coffee is supposed to look like." Sora laughed.

Layla nodded, looking down at the black liquid in her cup.

"Hey Sora, what are we going to do today?" Layla asked after breakfast.

"Well, what do you want to do? I know my way around Paris now. So, I'm pretty confident I can show you around." Sora offered.

"Would you? I haven't been here for awhile now. So, I forgot where everything is." Layla smiled.

"How about for today, we go and visit Versailles." Sora said. "It's a beautiful palace and it's just around the corner."

"Sure."

Both girls agreed. They stepped out of their pajamas and into casual wear for France. Sora was wearing some straight jeans with a white tanktop and a few accessories. Layla, however, was still wearing American type clothes. She wore some sweatpants and a baggy shirt that advertised one of her earlier shows. Sora looked at her and laughed. "We'll get you some new clothes, as well."

Layla nodded. "Is this not the trend in Paris?"

"No."

They both laughed as they walked towards the giant palace.

"Do you want to see the gardens or the palace first?" Sora asked.

"Palace."

Standing right in front of them was the palace of Versailles. Layla stood their in amazement for a few minutes, until Sora tugged on her arm. "Oh sorry." She blushed.

They walked inside and passed the security to enter a room. It was pretty crowded, and when Layla looked to her right, she could see a magnificent chapel.

The ceiling was intricate, with all of its features and the columns were embroidered in gold.

"The roof on this chapel is the tallest point of Versailles." Sora explained. "Kings Louis the XIV (14), XV(15), and XVI (16) all lived in this palace. Of course, it was King Louis the XIII (13) who actually started it. Before, this area was all woods. And he built a small cabin in the middle so he could hunt longer and stay over night. Then, when he died, his son, Louis the XIV (14), expanded his little cabin into the massive structure you see now."

Layla gasped. "It started from a little cabin?"

Sora nodded. "Come on that's not all you can see here."

They walked through the King's apartment and the Hall of Mirrors, and finally the Queens apartment. Sora was explaining everything to Layla. She explained how all of the furniture was made out of pure silver and where the King's new apartment was. She even explained the deaths of King Louis the XVI (16) and his queen.

Layla was amazed at how much history this one place had. As they exited out of the beautiful palace, Sora got excited. "Now, for the gardens."

They walked up to a side arc near the exit of the palace. Once they walked through it, Layla felt as if she were in a different universe. There were beautiful plants lined up to make intricate designs. The trees were all cut in the same fashion, while the fountains had beautiful statues either in it or around it.

Layla looked afar; she looked up to the farthest point she could possibly see. "Is that all part of it?"

"Yes." Sora answered. "Do you want to rent a golf cart?"

Layla seemed confused. "A golf cart?"

"Yea, so you can get to places quickly and save your feet the walking."

"Okay."

They both laughed. Sora hadn't felt this good for awhile. She felt happy being here. Both of them hopped onto the golf cart. Sora was driving, while Layla sat beside her.

They visited the mini palaces within the garden as well. All the way, Layla looked at the beautiful scenery and designs. The statues alone were artistic. Fountains were shooting water in a design itself. It was like a performance starring the fountains. Layla smiled.

"Now, Layla, we are also going to visit the miniature village for Marie Antoinette. She was the one who was killed with her husband Louis the XVI (16)." Sora said, turning the golf cart around.

She knew the paths to get there. Sora carefully turned into the little village. There, they had it all set up as if Marie Antoinette was actually there.

Sora started to explain. "Sometimes, Marie wanted to get away from the royal life. That is where this village comes in."

Sora pointed out all of the things, like the buckets and rakes. "Here, Marie and some of her friends would pretend that they were just the average villagers, milking cows and just having a good time." Sora paused. "There was just one difference."

Sora pointed out each of the things to Layla. "They don't have them on display now, but instead of those buckets, the ones they usedwere pure silver." Sora laughed.

"So basically they were like royal peasants." Layla laughed.

"Exactly."

As they returned the golf cart, each of them felt like they could conquer the world.

"Wow, Sora, you know everything." Layla complimented.

"Well, actually I learned it all from..." Sora paused. "Leon." she finally whispered.

"Oh, Sora, it'll be okay." Layla said reassuringly.

Sora stared blankly, but she could hear Layla's words. "I know. Thank you."

Both girls put their smile back on, laughing as they exited the beautiful palace of Versailles and headed back to Sora's apartment.

_Aww. How sweet. Sora is trying to forget about Leon, but the real question is...can she forget her true love? _A voice said inside Sora's mind. It was very faint, but she could hear it.

"Fool?" she whispered.

* * *

A/N: Fool in this story now. He will only be a minor character, since right now Sora can't see him, but something big is about to happen. (Foreshadowing) 


	9. Chapter 9: Wanderer

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Hello, everyone! Yes, I realize that I haven't been updating, and for that I am greatly sorry! This week, I'll try to update most of my stories, but in return you must review and tell me how they are, okay? I don't care if you hate them or love them (But I know you'll love them!)

Chapter 9 everyone!

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Chapter 9

Wanderer

Leon crossed the busy streets of London, turning onto Winfield Street and running towards the bright lights of Chinatown. There, he saw shops set on each side of the small street. People were scattered everywhere. Looking around, he could see bakeries, restaurants, and even clothing stores.

However, he wasn't here for any of that. If he was going to find Sora, freshly baked bread couldn't distract him. He ran off towards some of the stores; people were yelling at him to try some of their food, but he turned them down. Crossing the street, he searched up and down the rows of stores.

There, he saw a Japanese woman. She was wearing an orange T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her legs were perfectly fit and her waist was like an hourglass. Leon quickly ran toward her, calling out Sora's name. As he reached the girl, though, he found that it wasn't her, but merely a look-a-like.

"Who?" The girl asked.

"Oh sorry." Leon's head was down. Yes, he was disappointed. He really thought it was Sora.

"Oh, okay. Do you need help?" The girl asked.

"I'm looking for someone; I thought you were her." Leon explained.

"I can help you if you want." The girl offered.

"No, I can't let you do that. You probably have a job that you need to keep up and I'll be going soon."

"It's okay. I'm a wanderer." The girl said.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Leon asked hesitantly.

She nodded.

Leon could feel the tips of his mouth curl up into a smile. "My name is Leon." He spread out his hand for a shake.

"Tia." She returned and shook his hand.

"Well, I guess I should fill you in, huh?" Leon laughed. For a long time, he couldn't do that. What was it about this girl?

"I guess so."

They walked off, leaving Chinatown behind. Leon started to explain to Tia what was going on and that his ex-girlfriend was somewhere in Europe. In return, she smiled and told him to never give up.

"I've looked all over London, do you think she's somewhere else?" Leon asked.

"Well, remember, London isn't the only city in England. I know a few secret societies hidden in the suburbs." Tia explained.

Leon nodded. It was his last hope before he moved on to another country. He gestured for her to show him the way. Tia smiled as she pointed out a cab stand. Hopping into a black car with a checkered pattern on the side, Tia told the cab driver where to go.

As the cab driver drove on, talking to Tia half the way, Leon merely looked out onto the plain fields filled with grass and a few trees here and there. The country side is so different from the busy streets of London. Sighing, Leon couldn't help but think of Tia as Sora. From her cherry-blossom hair to her large personality, she was almost an exact replica of Sora!

The cab slowly came to a stop. Then, Tia quickly jumped out of the cab, stretching her arms out as if she'd been cramped in a small space for a long period of time. She looked so radiant in the rays of the sun. Leon took a step toward her, coming to a hault when he was a foot away from her.

"So, where exactly is this 'secret community?'" Leon asked.

Tia pointed out a hillside. "There."

Leon squinted to see a small village. As they arrived at the village, Tia led the way through the small houses. They were made with old fashioned stucco and stones filled the the roads. It was like an old-time village...a classic. Leon looked around admiring all of the small details like the small stream of grout in between the stones and the textured rooftops.

Tia led him to one of the houses near the end of the village. "This woman knows everything. If your girlfriend, I mean ex-girlfriend is here then she'll know it." She gestured for him to walk forward.

Leon stepped up onto the mat and knocked on the door a few times. A few minutes later, an old lady came up to the door. Her face was filled with wrinkles and her long, white hair curled in the front. "Tia! Is that you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Allen. I brought a friend here today. I was hoping you could help us find someone."

"Oh, of course I can, sweetie."

Tia nodded and stepped inside. Leon followed her, taking a seat in the front room on a long, brown sofa. His back was straight and proper as they discussed the matter. In the end, the lady knew nothing of Sora. Leon could feel his disappointment seep through his face as Tia questioned his attitude, but he quickly gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry Leon."

"It's okay. After all, it was my own fault she left."

They walked past the houses of the village, once again and stood at the almost deserted cab station. While they were waiting, they talked.

"So, how does that woman know everything about the people who travel here?" Leon asked as they awaited for a taxi.

"She was a vagabond just like me. In my early days, she used to let me stay with her."

Leon nodded. Just then, in the distance, a small black dot arose from the trees. Tia and Leon waited patiently, staring into the blankness of each others eyes. As the cab arrived, they looked away from each other, both embarrassed.

_What am I thinking, Sora? Am I into this girl? She looks so much like you! Damn, am I? _Leon thought, stepping into the black car. Tia gestured towards the busy streets of London and they were off.

It was a long ride back. Leon was basically keeping to himself from then on.

_Could I fall for another person? No, Sora is the only one for me. _He tried to persuade himself. _But she looks and acts like Sora! Tia, the vagabond, the one who I'm falling for?

* * *

_

A/N: I'm sorry to break up the whole LeonxSora couple thing. However, this'll make the story more interesting. But, no worries here, Leon will get himself back together when he finally sees his runaway love!

* * *


	10. Chapter 10: Fooled

Disclaimer- I only own the plot.

* * *

Chapter 10

Fooled

_"Fool?" She whispered._

The voice got a little louder. _My Sora, you can hear me?_

Yes. She could hear him, but what the hell does that mean?! Sora paced back and forth, thinking about the situation. Just then, Layla stepped in the room.

"Morning Sora." She seemed surprisingly happy this morning.

Sora stopped pacing for a few seconds to greet her back. "Hey, Layla." She paused. "Can you still hear Fool?"

"No." Abrupt, yes, but it was to the point. "Why?"

"I could have sworn that I heard him just now."

Layla shrugged. "You know, statistics show that over half the women who are pregnant go crazy."

Sora thought about it, but then realized that Layla was mocking her. "Not funny!"

Layla chuckled as she walked toward the kitchen. Roaming around, she found some bagels she could toast. Both of them were silent for a long while, but Layla finally broke it off.

"Hey Sora, how many more months?"

"Um, let's see...I think about four, why?" Sora turned around to face the tall, slender woman standing behind her in the apartment's kitchen.

"Have you thought of a name?"

Sora turned back around, facing the wide, open windows viewing the beautiful city. She thought for a long time, but finally came up with nothing. "No."

Layla gasped. "You really should start working on that!"

Sora sighed. "I've had a lot on my mind; I never really had a chance to think about it."

"Well, I'll help you."

Layla sat down next to Sora.

"Do you have any suggestions, yet?"

Sora pondered once again. "No."

"Nothing?"

"No."

Layla sighed. She stood up, and walked down the hallway to her bedroom. Sora sat there until Layla came back, finding herself too lazy to move. Layla walked back, holding a large book in her hands. As she sat down, Sora could see the full cover of it. Baby Names and Meanings.Sora sat up, as Layla handed her the book.

"Here."

"Why do you have this?"

"Just because...are you going to take it or not?!"

Sora rolled her eyes and grabbed the book from the young blond. She flipped the pages, scanning each and looking for names she liked.

She came up with these:

Name: Marie Origin: French Meaning: Sea of Bitterness

Sora shook her head. She didn't want her daughter/son's name to mean Sea of Bitterness.

Name: Steven Origin: Greek Meaning: Crown

It was a possibility.

Layla stopped Sora as she reached the 'T's.' "How about a personal name?"

"Like what?"

"Like naming it after someone who was really important to you OR the father." Layla emphasized the father part.

Sora shook her head. She didn't want to even think of Leon.

"Well, he helped you make this child. The least you can do is put it to thought." Layla stared her straight in the eye, never backing down.

"Fine. It's a possibility, but what would be close to him. What would he want? Who was so-Sophie..." Sora answered her series of questions by a mere word, but that sole word meant a lot.

She too care for Sophie. Although, she's never met her, she's visited her grave many times. It would be nice to have her child named after her. However, Leon did a cruel thing to her, and she can't forget that. He cheated on her with her rival on stage.

"You know, why don't you think about it. And maybe we should check if it's a boy or girl before we go any farther with this." Layla suggested.

Sora nodded as Layla looked at her watch. "I think they don't close for a few hours. Let's go check it out."

Sora nodded as she grabbed her jacket that would normally be two sizes too big on her, however, her stomach had a slight bump to it now. Layla reached for hers too as they walked out of the small apartment. Both walked down the street and turned a corner as they reached the local clinic.

Layla signed Sora in and about thirty minutes later, the nurse called her up. (They have fast service in France.) Sora stood up and slowly made her way toward the back of the building. There, the nurse asked her to take a seat. Sora sat down on the hospital bed and Layla sat on a chair near it. Dr. Ray walked smoothly into the cold, blank room.

"Sora, how are you doing?" His voice still had a heavy accent.

"I'm fine."

"Good, good. So, are you here for a daily check-up then?"

"No, actually, I wanted to know the sex of my baby." Her voice was quiet.

He nodded and stepped out of the room once again. Layla looked at Sora, who was lying on the small bed staring at the ceiling. As Dr. Ray entered the room once again, this time with a projection screen, Sora took her eyes off the ceiling and faced the tall yet slender, pale man.

"Sit still, Sora." He told her, walking up to the bed and placed a metal piece on her stomach. Then, a light lit up the room with a picture of her stomach. In it, both girls could see the form of a human being. The question is, what gender is it?

"What are you hoping for?" Dr. Ray asked.

"I don't know, a girl?"

"Well, you're in luck! You're having a girl!"

Sora sighed and tilted her head back, resting it on a pillow. "That's good."

--

Layla and Sora walked back towards their apartment. By this time, it was quite dark and only the street lights lit their way. However, as they arrived, Sora was as exuberant as ever. Layla looked at her funny.

"Are you okay, Sora?"

"Yea, Layla. I'm great!"

Not fully satisfied with that answer, she made Sora sit down. "Did you find a name?"

"Almost." Sora flipped through the pages of the book and finally stopping on a page. Layla looked down to see a familiar name.

"I'm sorry, but I can't name my child Sophie. Maybe my next one, but right now, I just can't get over it. However, I am personalizing it!"

Layla took the book from Sora's hands. Her fingers traced across the bold print.

Name: Layla Origin: Arabic Meaning: Dark Beauty

* * *

A/N: The name is finally revealed! Sorry for those who wanted the name to be Sophie. I truly was thinking about it, however, many have already used that name and I feel that it is unoriginal. Layla helped Sora a long way, and at one point, she was Sora's role model. (and still is) So I decided to name the child Layla. Well, I hope you review. I enabled the anonymous reviews, since my friend told me he couldn't review and honestly I never realized that it was disabled. So, feel free to state your opinion on this matter.


	11. Chapter 11: Truth

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: I stayed home sick today, so I decided to write another chapter for this story. For some reason, I always have ideas for this one, but never any of the others. Go figures. Well, as the title of this chapter is called 'Truth', guess what happens in it. Leon finds out the truth! I know shocker right? Well, I hope you all enjoy it and please review and tell me what you think, okay?

* * *

Chapter 11

Truth

Leon walked beside Tia as they reached the airport.

"So what do we do now?" Tia asked.

"I guess we're heading to Germany." Leon replied.

Tia nodded and turned to face the person working at the front desk. She handed him her passport and he, in return, handed Tia her boarding pass. Leon did the same. They headed toward the terminal and took a seat near Gate A-1. Leon looked out the window. Their plane had already arrived and they're just getting some minor adjustments to the engine fixed.

Both Leon and Tia sat in silence. Leon hadn't been in the mood to talk lately. He was usually found in deep thought. Tia looked at him and tapped him lightly.

He turned to face her. "Eh, we're boarding." She smiled.

Leon nodded and mechanically stood up and waited in the line of people. As they reached the front of the line, Leon could hear little gasps and 'Oh my gods' behind him. He decided to ignore them.

He got his boarding pass swiped and headed down toward the aircraft. Tia was right behind him. As they boarded the plane, Leon found their seats and sat down. Tia occupied the seat beside him. Leon's face was blank and Tia could feel no emotion coming out of it. So, she decided to start up a conversation...kind of.

"Leon, are you alright?"

Leon shook his memories away. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure, because you seem a little different today."

Leon nodded and looked out the window as the plane began to move. He saw all of the workers on the ground. To him, they looked more like little action figures than actual human beings.

Tia looked at him with a worried expression. She was about to say something, when a flight attendant came up to them.

"Excuse me, miss, but you need to put on your seat belt." She smiled.

Tia smiled back and buckled in. The attendant continued to check all of the remaining passengers before they started a safety video. The plane slowly moved along the road, until at last, it was time to take off. Tia placed her head on the seat and leaned into it as the plane rolled down the long street in front of them. Leon continued to stare out of the window,not paying any attention to what was going on. Tia decided to take a glimpse of his reflection through the window. His eyes were blank and not full of mystery as they usually were, his mouth was tilted down into a slight frown and his usual bright glow, was pale.

Tia frowned. There was something going on. "Leon, there's something wrong, isn't there?"

Leon looked at her. "No, there isn't, now please just leave me alone." His face was still bleak.

"You really loved her, didn't you." Tia whispered.

Leon continued to look out the window into the white clouds beside the plane. He sighed. "Yes."

"So, what was it about her that made you feel this way about her? What did you do to lose her?"

It took all of his strength to keep a straight face, but inside he was hurting badly. "She cared for me, and showed me the right path. She showed me that I can easily fix my wrongdoings and make it up by doing the right things. However, I betrayed her."

"How?"

"I slept with her rival, May Wong." Leon replied.

Just then, Tia had a major flashback.

_:Flashback:_

_Sora was on the phone. She was bawling uncontrollably. _

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I dropped out." Sora said through her tears._

_"Out of the World Festival?"_

_"Yes." Sora wouldn't stop crying._

_"Then, who won?"_

_"Leon Oswald and that stupid May Wong! I had a good chance at winning, but I just couldn't do it. The pressure got to me and now Miss Layla is mad. But, I just couldn't do it...Tia!"_

_:End Flashback:_

Tia quickly turned to Leon. "What was your ex-girlfriend's name?"

"Um, Sora Naegino."

Tia stopped dead. She began to speak, but her voice was soft. "Sora Naegino, eh?"

"Yes, do you know where she is?" Leon's face changed moods.

Tia paused and thought about it. "...no."

"Then, how do you know her?"

"Well, first of all because she is the Kaleido Star, that's an obvious reason." She said giddily. "And secondly, because she is my cousin!"

Leon felt his face freeze. _Tia was related to Sora this whole time?_"Well that explains the similiar features."

Tia nodded. "But I didn't know that she was dating anyone."

"She was."

"And I didn't know that she ran away. I thought she was still in Cape Mary."

"She's not."

"God and I thought she and I were close. I am so-" Leon stopped her.

"Maybe you were here in Europe and your family couldn't give you the news."

Tia looked up. "Oh, yea, that could be a possibility."

Leon sighed. He turned to face the window, once again. "Maybe she's here in Germany." Leon whispered as he saw the city of Berlin flash by his eyes. The plane began to descend and passengers began to wake up from their naps. Their three hour long flight was coming to an end. Tia began to stretch out and got a piece of gum from her carry-on.

The plane landed and it smoothly rolled into its slot. As the lights turned on and the seat belt signs turned off, passengers began to grab their belongings. He and Tia had been one of the first to get off. They quickly grabbed their luggage from baggage claim and stepped onto the busy streets of Berlin.

Now that he knew the truth, Leon no longer looked at Tia in any way but a helper, a vagabond, and...a friend.


	12. Chapter 12: Circus

Disclaimer: I only own the plot...and a few of the characters, but that's all!!

* * *

Chapter 12

Circus

Sora and Layla walked up toward the giant tent in front of them. "It's almost like the Kaleido Stage." Layla commented.

Sora turned her direction and smiled. "Yea. I guess it is." Just then, Sora had a flashback of all the events that happened while she was there. Some were good, though most had to deal with _him. _Sora sighed.

"Come on, let's go."

Layla nodded as they headed toward the large tent. Once inside, they were greeted by Sora's new friends.

Anne came running up to them, and squeezed Sora. "Oh, Sora!"

"H-hi Anne."

Anne let go and looked toward Layla. "You look familiar." Anne looked at Layla suspiciously.

"I think I've seen you before." Layla said.

"I know where I've seen you, at the Circus Festival!"

Layla shrugged. "I guess."

Anne jumped up and down, repeatedly saying _I loved your act. I loved your act._While she was doing that, the rest of the cast members came in with Mr. Baldon.

"Sora!" They exclaimed.

"Hey, you guys." Sora called them over. Layla looked away from the jumping Anne for a few seconds to look at the rest of them.

"Hello." Layla greeted them.

"Ms. Layla Hamilton." Lea exclaimed.

"Why, yes. Do you know me from the Circus Festival as well?"

Lea nodded.

Mr. Baldon interrupted. "Well, we must get planning for the next shows. Sora, when are you due?"

Sora pondered. "Um, let's see, actually, anytime now."

"Bien, that means we can start planning for the other shows. And Ms. Hamilton, we would love for you to be a guest appearance with your friend." Mr. Baldon smiled.

"I would love to."

"Great! Let's get started."

Mr. Baldon led them to a small, plain room with numerous chairs around a table. He took the chair at the top of the table and gestured for all to sit down. Sora sat to his right with Layla and Jean-Paul, as the others sat to his left. "For starters, does anyone have ideas?"

His accent was still very rich and Layla had trouble understanding him at first, before Sora helped her out. "Do you have any ideas Layla?"

"Hmm. What is everyone's specialty?"

They went down the row. "Lea and I do a comedy act." Jean-Paul said.

Layla smiled. "Just like Anna."

Sora nodded.

"I'm a juggler." Pierre said.

"And I'm Sora's partner in the trapeze, but I can also do floor, balance beam, and well anything really." Anne smiled.

Layla took this all in to consideration. "Interesting."

They all looked at her. "What are you thinking Layla?"

"I think we should do Romeo and Juliet."

Sora jumped out of her seat. "What?!"

"You never got the chance to perform, well star in it, Sora. Besides, as I look at each of their skills, I'm beginning to picture it more and more in my mind."

"But!"

"No buts! Though we may have to get another guy to play Romeo, but leave that to me."

The other cast members agreed with Layla. It was different to what they were used to.

Layla continued. "Now, Sora, you're due in a few weeks, so you should rest for that amount of time. Then, we'll let you take another month off for some extra needed rest. I don't know how motherhood will go, but I'll help you through that. We'll begin practicing and show you your part, okay?"

Sora only nodded.

"Good."

Sora sat back in her seat and sighed. _I wonder who is going to be my Romeo?_

Layla continued to explain the plot about the forbidden love story. All were intrigued by it, and in the end, they were even more excited.

"Okay, then, it's decided. Layla, you and I should get the final cast members up and start working on the choreography. As for the rest of you, excluding Sora, practice!"

Everyone nodded and walked out of the room. Sora stayed for a few moments, but then decided to get some rest. Lately, she's been more tired than ever. As she sat down, Sora could feel a huge pain in her stomach. She sighed. "I can't wait to get you out of here. Do you know what your doing to mommy?"

She rubbed her stomach to try to ease up the pain.

--

Practice Room...

"Sora should be due within the next week." Anne said as she flipped off of a trapeze and landed on another.

"That's good. We can get the shows back on the road. Ms. Layla will even star in it. I bet the shows will be sold out." Pierre continued to juggle the knives.

"Yea." Lea agreed. "I'm tired of practicing, when do I get to perform?"

"Soon." Jean-Paul answered.

--

Mr. Baldon's Office...

"So, who's going to be Romeo?" Mr. Baldon said.

Layla had to think before comprehending him. "Oh, there's only one person I can think of. I'll make the call, don't worry. You just get your people ready and the show will be on in a month." Layla assured.

"Who?"

"A good friend of mine."

--

Sora sat back and slid her back against the wall. Nobody was in the hall; they were all practicing. The pain from her stomach had eased, but she could still feel a big jolt every now and then as "Layla" began to kick. Sora continually rubbed her stomach until she spotted Jean-Paul walking toward her. He was sweaty; it was obvious that he had practiced.

"Bonjour! Ca va?"

"Mal." Sora groaned.

"Oh la la."

"Why are you speaking in French, Jean-Paul?"

He laughed. "It's much easier for me to, uh, speak French."

Sora looked at him. "Sorry. I wish I were better at French."

"It's okay."

Just then, Anne, Lea, and Pierre joined them. Everyone was done and Layla and Mr. Baldon just stepped out of his office.

"Is the show planned already?"

Layla smiled and nodded. "Yes."

* * *

A/N: Well, summer is here and I'll be updating this fic a lot. I hope everyone continues to review, so I can feed on your opinions. Well, I would like to thank you guys so far and this story is 3/4's done. Hopefully, there will be around 21 chapters and then I'm making a sequel about Layla and Yuri. It will be called, what else, but 'Hello, My Love!' I hope you guys read that as well. But for now, I think I'm going to try to finish a few more and then I'll start that. So, all of you LaylaYuri lovers, I decided to do that for you. (and the fact that it came to me in my head last night .)


	13. Chapter 13: Message

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

* * *

Chapter 13

Message

Leon and Tia made their way through the streets of Berlin. They passed by the famous _Berlin Wall _several times, yet they hadn't even glimpsed at it once. Instead, they spent their time looking for a certain pink headed girl. At around twilight, they decided to stop and get a hotel for the night.

As they arrived at the Hamilton Hotel-Berlin, Leon's hope was close to none. He had searched for almost nine months and yet, there was still no sign of his beloved.

He sat on the bed and sighed. Their hotel room had a great view of the city, but Leon had no time for that. He laid down and pondered for a long time.

Tia was in the kitchen preparing a simple meal of sauteed vegetables. In the midst of his thinking, Leon was interrupted by Tia's hollering and the smell of food. Leon slowly got up and made his way down to the suite's kitchen where Tia was waiting impatiently. She had already started eating when he arrived, and Leon took no glance at the young girl. He merely took a plate of his own and grabbed a small spoonful of veggies.

Befuddled by his actions, Tia looked up. "Is it bad or something?"

Leon continued to pick through his food.

"Hello! Leon!"

He looked up. "Hmm."

"Are you okay?"

"Yea."

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm not hungry." He said abruptly, then stood up and walked off.

Once he was gone, Tia shrugged and continued to eat. But in her mind she thought _I hope he's not taking it too seriously._

Tia finished up and placed the plates in the dishwasher the hotel had supplied. When she was done, she decided to check on Leon. She knocked on his bedroom door twice before letting herself in.

"Leon?" She whispered.

He paid no attention to her. Tia could see his reflection from the window. His face turned bleak again. Worried, Tia scurried out of the room. Then, she went to her own room. She, too, sat on her bed and stared out onto the busy streets of Germany. Though she wasn't thinking about Sora, but about...Leon.

"I hope he's alright." Tia whispered.

Just then, Tia heard the phone beside her bed ring. She quickly picked it up, only to find a stranger on the other side.

"Hello?"

"Bonjour!" The voice called out. It seemed pretty giddy for the situation.

"Um, who is this."

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. I am M. Baldon from the Paris Traveling Circus."

Tia's eyes widened when she heard the word _Paris._

"I assume you're looking for Leon then?"

"Oui, oui."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Oswald isn't in the mood to talk right now. He's having a huge crisis and he would like to be left alone for the time being." Tia explained to M. Baldon.

"That is fine." He spoke in English now, though it was still a little hard to understand. "Can you just give him the message and have him call me back if he's, uh, interested."

Tia agreed and hung up. She then sighed and looked over toward the closed door. _Leon._

She made her way slowly to his room. He was still in the same position. Tia carefully and quietly made her way next to him.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

He didn't reply.

Tia sat down anyways and started to explain to him what had just occurred.

"Leon!"

His face slowly turned to her. "Leon, they want you to perform again!"

She tried to sound excited, but she knew his answer. No. She tried to explain some more.

"Leon, it is going to be in Paris. Isn't that your hometown?"

Leon's eyes began to transform. His face grew more lively as she continued to explain. "Leon, they want you to perform in Paris!"

Leon's mouth began to open, yet he couldn't think of any other word to say, but "Paris?"

Tia nodded her head. "Yes, Paris!"

Leon thought about it for a long while. He thought about his hometown and how much he missed it. Then, he thought about his stage career. Since Sora caught him cheating, he hasn't had the guts to go back on, especially without her. Leon hadn't realized it, but his thoughts always seemed to go back to Sora. The way she walked, talked...even performed.

While he was thinking, Tia started to ramble on and on as if it were going to help him choose.

Finally, Leon shut her up and merely shrugged. "I guess I have time in my schedule."

Tia jumped up. "Yay. Now, um, they want you to call them back."

Tia handed him the phone and quickly hightailed it out of his room. "Bon chance!" She said as she exited.

Leon looked confused, but looked at the number and dialed it. The phone began to ring and not long after, someone picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Leon Oswald." He tried to sound professional, but in the back of his mind, he could only think of one thing. _I've heard this voice before._

"Leon!"

He thought about it for a minute and then answered back. "...Layla?"

"Yes. So I assume you're going to do the show?"

"Yes." Leon's mouth curled up into a small smile.

Peeking in, from the crack of the door, Tia couldn't help but smile when she heard that it was Layla. Leon's smiled began to widen as Layla explained the performance to him.

While Leon was on the phone, Tia celebrated outside. Leon was smiling and that's all that mattered. When Leon got off the phone, he was back to his usual dramatic self. "Tia, pack your bags. We're leaving for Paris tomorrow!"

Tia turned to face him and sweatdropped. "Tomorrow?"

"That's when they want us." Leon smirked.

Tia tried to fight back, but could only smile for she had made Leon happy again!

"So, do we have to leave tomorrow?" She threw in.

Leon laughed. "Yes."

"Aw, come on!"

"Don't complain."

In the midst of their fight, Leon heard a thought in the back of his mind.

_Your treasure is growing near, Mr. Leon Oswald._

"What?" Leon whispered.

_Let's see what your future holds._

_--_

A/N: Okay, to clear things up. The person/thing that Leon hears in the end is Fool tellng him that his treasure is growing near. However, Leon doesn't have a big brain and doesn't get it. Figures. Well, I hope you like it and please review. Only...wait let me do the math...21-13 (reaches for calculator) 8 more chapters to go!!


	14. Chapter 14: Birth

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Warning: Don't shop on the Champs-Élysées! The prices are like tripled from everywhere else. If you ever go to Paris, shop on side streets. Oh yea, and if you don't like to witness births, you can still read this. I didn't go into much detail because I personally don't like to go into that much depth about something I haven't really experienced.

* * *

Chapter 14

Birth

Sora strolled lazily along the Champs-Élysées with Layla by her side. Her stomach was bigger than ever, and she could hint people staring at her. Today, Layla and Sora were looking for some dresses. Layla told Sora that there was going to be an after party once their show was done. Of course, Layla forgot to pack a dress and was in desperate need of one. Sora offered to help.

They found a small boutique beside the Ferrari Shop. Layla saw a dress that she liked and stepped inside. Sora slowly made her way in the shop as well. It had been harder to walk since she was almost due. Once she walked in, she was greeted by Layla holding a gold, floor length dress up to her.

"What do you think?" Layla smiled.

"I think I need to sit down."

Sora found a small bench by some of the shoes that the boutique carried. Layla followed her, still holding the dress.

"Hey, Sora, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a few kicks."

Layla smiled. "I think I'm going to buy this one then. We better get you back to the apartment."

Sora smiled. "Thanks."

Layla walked up to the lady working the register. "Combien coute de la robe-ci?"

The lady checked the computer. "La robe? Ces't trois cent euros (300 euros)" (In American money that's about 450 dollars)

Layla reached for her credit card and handed it to the lady. She swiped it and gave Layla a receipt.

Layla looked back at her friend. "Sora, come on!"

Sora groaned and struggled to stand up. Layla came to her side and lent her a hand. Then, they headed out of the boutique.

"Merci!" Layla said before exiting.

They took the metro back to their apartment. Sora was breathing hard the whole time. Once they got back, Layla confronted Sora.

"I think you should go to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine...I'll just--AHHHHHH!!" Sora let out a loud groan.

"Yeah, I'm taking you now!" Layla scurried to get an ambulance.

Within a few minutes, an ambulance had arrived. Layla helped Sora down the steps and placed her on a stretcher. Once they were inside, Layla explained to the paramedic that Sora was due soon. The paramedic nodded and they headed toward the local hospital.

Layla was by Sora's side the whole time. They hooked Sora up to a few IV's and monitored her heart rate. So far, she still seemed pretty normal. At this point, Sora was in a light sleep, but when they arrived at the hospital she was woken up. Her breathing was back to normal.

The paramedics rushed Sora into a room and let her rest for the rest of the night. Layla sat by the bed throughout the night. She watched Sora sleep, not getting any sleep herself.

Be the morning, Sora had gotten a full night's sleep. Layla was still sitting by her bed when she woke up. Sora sat up and looked out the window. The sun had already risen, and the day was already in full swing. Sora raised her arms to stretch and found needles injected in her arm. Sora looked at them as Layla explained to her what had occurred last night.

Sora sighed. "I have to go to bathroom."

Layla nodded and watched her leave for the bathroom.

Once Sora reached it, she noticed her pants had liquid flowing down them.

"Oh no!"

Layla heard Sora. "Is everything okay in there?"

Layla heard Sora scream out. "My water broke!"

Layla rushed to Sora's aid. "Come on, let's get you in bed."

Sora sat down on the bed. Just then, Dr. Ray came in. "Is everything okay here?"

Layla answered for Sora. "Sora's water just broke."

"Uh oh. Let's check."

He took a stethoscope out of his pocket and put it up to Sora's stomach. A small blob appeared on the screen.

"It's time." Dr. Ray announced. "Sora, you're going into labor."

Sora took a deep breath like she was intructed. She felt a great amount of pain in her stomach as she groaned loudly.

Layla came up to her. "You just hade your first contraction."

Sora took deep breaths as the pains began to increase. Layla stayed by her side the whole time. Dr. Ray monitored the screen looking for anything that could possibly be a threat to the baby.

Sora had been going in an dout of contractions for a few hours now. Finally, Dr. Ray said it was finally time.

Dr. Ray put on new gloves and got all the preparations ready before they started. Then, he told Sora to take a deep breath and push with all her strength. Sora, who was feeling pretty tired by now, gave it her all and pushed with all her might. It took about ten pushes to finally get the baby out.

However, when the whole thing ended, Sora was finally able to see the beautiful child that her and Leon had conceded together.

Layla gave her a quick congratulations as they cleaned the young Layla up. A few minutes later the young Layla was in Sora's arms. As Dr. Ray handed her Layla, Sora couldn't help but be in awe.

"She's beautiful!"

Layla was in her arms by then and Sora lay up right holding the baby close to her chest.

Dr. Ray interrupted the moment. "Sora, you should probably stay here for the night."

Sora nodded. Layla stood up. "I think I'm going to go back to the apartment and get the room ready. Sora, are you going to be okay?"

Sora nodded, and stopped Layla right before she walked out of the room. "Layla, one last request?"

"Anything."

"Will you be her godmother?"

Layla smiled. "Of course."

--

A/N: Sora finally gave birth. God, it was sooo hard for me to write this chapter, since I haven't actually given birth to anybody. I hope it turned out okay. Well, I hope you all enjoy and please review!!


	15. Chapter 15: Home

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

* * *

Chapter 15

Home

Tia stretched her arms out. "We're here!"

Leon nodded as they waited for a taxi outside. Various people walked by, looking toward their direction. Leon was well known in Paris, obviously, since it was his hometown. Just then, a taxi pulled up in front of them. Leon opened the door and hopped in with Tia.

The driver turned around. "Oh la la, Leon Oswald!"

"Oui, monsieur." Leon tried to smile.

"Ou est-ce que tu aller?"

"Uh, ma maison, s'il vous plait."

Everyone knew where the famous Leon Oswald lived and the driver quickly took him to his old home in Versailles. His house was located on a side street facing the beautiful palace of King Louis the XIV. Leon helped Tia with her bags, and let her get settled in.

"Tia, I'm going to take a walk. You can stay here if you like." Leon said.

Tia nodded getting that he wanted some alone time. She simply smiled and continued to unpack her bags full of junk.

Leon stepped outside into the warm daylight of the early June morning. He sighed and began to walk. Leon passed small boutiques and supermarkets that he was raised on. One in particular caught his eye. _La Petite. _His parents used to bring him and Sophie there all the time.

Leon stepped toward the window, looking at the items on display. Then, he walked off, giving it a cold shoulder. He continued to walk down the quiet road, finding a cemetery at the end. Leon slowly made his way to the entrance.

The rotten gate was tall, blocking out the dangers of the road and teenage pranks. Leon looked at each of the graves and finally stopped at three of them. _Mom, Dad, Sophie...I love you guys._

Leon kneeled down in front of them and prayed. Just then, a memory popped up in his mind.

**:Flashback:**

_"Oh Leon, I'm so glad I could meet your family!"_

_"Yea, I guess you could consider this, that." Leon smiled._

_Sora and Leon kneeled down at the three headstones. _

_"Mom, Dad...meet Sora Naegino, the woman I love." Leon started off._

_Sora blushed and leaned closer to him._

_"And Sophia, this is the same, special girl who made your dreams come true." Leon smiled. _

_Then, Leon turned to Sora. "And Sora, this is my family." _

_He gestured at the gravestones. Sora looked at each of them, reading the names and details. She couldn't help but bawl. _

_"Oh, Leon, I'm so happy I got to do this with you." _

_"I love you Sora." Leon smiled as he reached in to comfort her._

**:End Flashback:**

Leon sighed. He was still in the same position, but now...he was crying. (He doesn't do that often.) For about 15 minutes, Leon Oswald, sat in front of his family and cried. When he finally calmed himself down, he looked at the gravestones yet again.

"Mom, Dad, Sophie...I'm sorry." He whispered.

He looked back down, seeing the pebbles beneath him.

Just then, he heard a voice behind him. "Are you alright, Leon?"

"Tia?!" He straightened himself up, not wanting to be pitied. "What are you doing here?"

She laughed. "You know how I am."

Leon thought about it. "That's true."

Tia sat down next to him. "So, this is your family?"

Leon nodded softly.

"I'm sorry." Tia whispered. "I heard everything."

Leon turned around. He should have been mad, but instead, he just looked into her eyes. "It's okay, you bring back a part of me. For now, I consider you as my life support." He smiled and got up.

Tia watched him as he gestured for her to come. She quickly got up and followed.

Leon and Tia walked back to the house.

"Hey Leon, what are you going to do after you find Sora?" Tia asked.

"Well, first of all, I'm going to apologize for my actions. Then, I'll just go from there."

Tia stared straight forward. "You know Leon, you must be one special guy."

"And why is that?"

Tia continued to stare. "If she didn't care, she wouldn't have run away. Instead, she would've let it go. However, she did. So that means she still loves you, don't you think."

Leon thought about it. "...no."

"Well, I think so. Sora and I talked about this awhile back. In case this situation ever happened. It's ironic that it happened to her though. After all, I had more guys after me when we were growing up."

Leon looked at her. "And why is that?"

"Sora wouldn't date anyone unless she really liked them. She was playing hard to get." Tia smiled. "While I was doing the complete opposite."

They reached the house. Leon reached for his keys and opened the door. He headed for his bedroom to unpack, when he noticed something odd.

"Hey Tia, I thought you said you were going to unpack your things." Leon said.

Tia went into her room and grabbed her luggage. "No, Leon, I think it's time for me to leave you be. You've been taking good care of me for the past few months and I deeply appreciate it, but I think I'll be too much of a hassle for you. Go find my cousin and tell her how you feel. I'm backing you up all the way." Tia smiled.

"But, where are you going to go?" Leon said, worried.

"I think it's time to visit the family."

Leon smiled. "I'm proud of you Tia."

Tia reached for the front door. "Thank you."

She was about to walk out, when she remembered that she forgot something. Tia quickly ran toward her "old" bedroom and took something out of the drawer. "Here, it's a nothing big, but it means a lot to me."

Leon looked at the small fan in his hand. Then he looked at Tia who gestured for him to open it. Inside, he found a printed image of him and Tia smiling.

Leon could feel his body freeze. "Where did you ge--"

He was interrupted. "I had it made when we first met." She smiled. "I've been keeping it this whole time."

"Thank you." Leon whispered. "You know, I'm going to miss you."

"No you won't. You'll see me again, when we have a family reunion." Tia laughed.

Leon chuckled a bit too. "You're really that confident?"

"Of course I am!" Tia checked her watch. "Oh, God, now I'm late. Well, I have to go Leon, but I wish you the best of luck."

Tia ran out the door, grabbing her luggage on the way. Within mere seconds, she was gone.

Leon sat on his bed and thought back on their adventures together. It went through three countries in general. Leon sighed. "At the beginning of this little adventure, I did this for myself only, but now, I'm doing it for you too...Tia."

Leon looked back down at the little fan and smiled. Today had been rough. He went through the past, and back to the present only to find that his life line was leaving. _Goodbye._ Leon whispered.

* * *

A/N: You know, Leon's parents really aren't mentioned that much. Just saying. Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, please review. Let's see is there anything else?...oh oh, I'll try to finish this before July, since that's when I'm going to visit my cousins in the Phillippines and I'll probably be hanging out with them (and shopping) rather than you know..well updating!


	16. Chapter 16: Juliet

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

* * *

Chapter 16

Juliet

Sora carried Layla in her arms as she walked down the narrow corridor into the open practice area. There, she met up with Anne and Jean-Paul. They had already stretched and were ready to practice their routines. Sora looked down at Layla and then gestured for them to hold on for a second. She quickly made her way to her friend, Layla.

"Layla, can you watch over your godchild?" Sora asked hesitantly.

"Of course. Here, you just practice! The shows only a month away!" Layla reached out for her mini-self and held her tightly. Then, she walked off, heading toward M. Baldon's office.

Sora sighed and quickly made her way back to the practice area. It had only been two weeks since Layla was born, yet Sora had lost almost all the weight that she had gained. Of course, the trapeze has a lot to do with it, but she really isn't supposed to be on them. Well, according to Dr. Ray.

Sora stretched, doing a few exercises and hopped on the trapeze. Anne was going to explain her part for her. Sora climbed the ladder and stood on the platform.

"Okay Anne, I'm ready!" Sora shouted.

Anne nodded. "Sora, this is the story of forbidden love. You are only one half of the story, therefore, you will not steal the stage completely. However, your goal is to out-shine your Romeo!" Anne stopped and looked up at Sora.

"And who is my Romeo?"

"Layla won't tell me." Anne shouted back. "The show starts off with simple techniques and flips. You will be met by me, who is playing your mother." Anne giggled.

Sora continued to listen, wanting to get everything right.

"The beginning is rather simple, don't you think?"

"Yea, where's all the interesting stuff?"

"Toward the middle." Anne answered. "You and your Romeo will dance in one scene and in the balcony scene, I heard you guys do a really cool trick. However, I don't know exactly how that happens. Layla never explained that in full detail to me."

Sora nodded. "Basically, I'm free to adlib."

Anne nodded. "In certain scenes, yes."

Just then, Sora jumped off the wooden platform and started to swing her legs back and forth. "Wow! I haven't done this in awhile!"

Sora started off by accustoming herself to the trapeze. After all, she hadn't been on one for nine months! She continued to swing her legs back and forth and when she felt the time was right, she jumped off onto the next one. As she floated in mid-air, Sora decided to try out some flips. She spun into a 360 double full. Then, she attempted a double flip.

Once she got the hang of it, Sora started to practice for her role.

"You know, it's a lot harder when you don't have a partner!" Sora yelled down.

Just then, Sora spotted the door crack open. She immediately stopped what she was doing and looked. It could have been her partner. However, it wasn't. Instead, Layla Hamilton walked in.

"Sora! Monsieur Baldon is taking care of the other Layla, okay? I thought it may be helpful to you if I was your partner for the time being." Layla said.

Sora smiled. Her and Layla were amazing together, and they hadn't gotten a chance like this in a long time. Layla took off her coat and quickly jumped off onto a trapeze hanging near the other side of the room. She did numerous flips that went on until she reached the trapeze in front of Sora.

Sora could feel her mouth drop. How did Layla do that? Layla glided through the room, never falling, nor touching anything in between other than the trapeze swings.

"Is that part of the act?"

"Actually, it is." Layla said as she flipped one last time. She was now a few meters away from Sora. "Did you see my elegance?"

Sora nodded.

Layla continued. "Well, that is going to be part of the dance scene. As you can see, it looks hard, but I know you can do it. After all, you were my partner at once. I know you abilities."

Sora then jumped off the swing she was on, doing numerous flips like Layla had done mere minutes before. She flipped until she reached a trapeze near the exit door to the outside.

"Well done Sora. You went far." Layla commented. "This is a scene where you can adlib. Make it flow, and act passionate. Remember you **love** him."

Sora nodded and changed her movements to something more elegant. Layla clapped. "Good, it looks like you have that scene down. Now, let's work on the balcony scene. I don't know if Anne told you, but this scene will require a maneuver from you and L-- Romeo." Layla caught herself.

"But what is it?"

"Well, I don't know. I thought I would let you have a little imagination Sora. Just see this as an obstacle, however, you will still have me to help. I can give you ideas." Layla said.

Sora smiled and continued to practice her flips for the rest of the time.

--

After Practice...

Sora and Layla made their way to M. Baldon's office to pick up the other Miss Layla. When they got there, they found M. Baldon watching a sleeping baby.

"Oh, Bonjour!"

"Bonjour, um, Je finis ma rehearsal." Sora said hesitantly, not knowing if those were the right words.

"D'accord! Ici!" M. Baldon carefully picked up Layla as Sora met him halfway to carry her child.

"Merci beacoup!"

Layla and Sora took a taxi home, not wanting to take their chances as the sky grew darker. When they reached the apartment, Sora let Layla go to sleep in her small crib and walked into the kitchen where she was met by the other Layla.

"I think we should get started on the maneuver." Layla whispered.

Sora agreed. She and Layla sat down on the couch, as Layla expressed her ideas.

"Just pretend that your Romeo is really a dark soul, looking for a bright young spirit to help him. When he sees you, he doesn't immediately fall in love, yet he does see the potential hiding inside. Then, as his feeling continually increase, he calls for you while you are in your room." Layla said softly, yet dramatically. "And this is where the maneuver comes in. As he calls for you to be with him, you quietly watch him, however, when he climbs up the vines toward your balcony, you don't resist his touch. Instead, you run away with him!"

Sora was really into this.

"Now, let's get started." Layla finished.

Sora thought about it._ What can I do to make this scene exciting? This maneuver has to be good._ She thought about the story, not realizing that Layla had actually been talking about her and Leon's relationship.

_I'm going to make this show my best yet!_Sora thought, when an idea suddenly popped in her mind. _I got it!_

* * *

A/N: Hehe. Did you really think I was going to reveal the maneuver in the chapter? Don't worry, you'll get to see, well read about it later on. Well, if you look back at Layla's words doesn't it kind of remind you of Sora and Leon's relationship. At the beginning, he didn't love her, but near the end he started to fall for her. (Well, I think so.) Anyways, I must warn you , that this isn't really going with the storyline of Romeo and Juliet. I've read the book, but it seems hard to get it onto the stage. So, I'm making my version of Romeo and Juliet! (That was a warning, if you don't see that the play doesn't really match all to well with the book.) And besides, aren't circus performers supposed to make their own interpretations of famous books or movies? Yea, that's what I thought! Hehe.


	17. Chapter 17: Romeo

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: I want to congratulate Micathloren for figuring it out!

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Chapter 17

Romeo

Leon walked down the empty side street. Tia had left a few days preceding today, and Leon seemed...lonely.

"This is it?" Leon walked toward the circus tent that lie ahead of him. Layla told him a week before that he would have the chance to practice in a small facility just outside of Paris. He found the opening and walked through to the inside. Once inside, he saw trapezes hanging from the ceiling with a net below. Leon took a glimpse at the letter Layla sent him with instructions on what to do.

_Leon,_

_Again thank you for accepting this offer. We are all happy with your decision. As you must know, you only have a month until the final rehearsal. Until then, I want you to practice. Here are a few highlights._

_1) Read over the script and practice all the scenes._

_2) The balcony scene requires a new maneuver that is still unknown. Be prepared for anything!_

_On behalf of the Paris Traveling Circus, I express my deep gratitude._

_With best regards,_

_Layla Hamilton_

When Leon finished, he took off his shirt and grabbed the water bottle from his bag. He then stepped onto the platform and did a series of flips as he spun onto the next trapeze. He tried not to think of anything but his practice, but soon found that his mind had drifted off.

_I wonder where Tia is. I hope she made it home safely. Why would she just leave me like this? Maybe she knows something that I don't. That's it! She knows where Sora is! _Leon thought as he continued to flip on and off of the trapeze swings.

Just then, a familiar character walked into the tent. She was watching him. Leon continued to flip back and forth, performing all of the scenes without even knowing it.

She stepped out of the shadows. "Well done Leon!"

Leon heard the voice and immediately stopped. As he hung on a swing, he looked toward the direction where the voice appeared.

"Layla? What are you doing here?"

"I'm just checking up on you." Layla smiled. "Long time, no see, Leon Oswald."

Leon ignored the smirk on her face.

"I see that you're practicing."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Leon said.

"Well, I'm just here to help." Layla continued. "Do you want to learn the maneuver or not?"

Leon looked back at the blond girl. "I thought it was undecided."

"Well, now it's not!" Layla shot back. "You know, you're kind of slow."

Leon sighed as he jumped off the trapeze and landed swiftly on the floor. "Fine, tell me."

"How can I tell you? I'll just have to perform it." Layla quickly ripped off the clothes that was covering her practice uniform and jumped onto the swing. "I'm your Juliet for right now."

Leon hopped onto the platform and quickly caught on.

"It starts off with you jumping off from your trapeze. I know that you're good at this, Leon. It's just like Sora in the angel's maneuver except you're the angel this time." Layla started.

Leon looked at her worried. Him, the angel? Then again, it was part of his job. He leaped off the trapeze as Layla caught his hand and lifted him up. He tried to make himself light, but he just couldn't do it.

"I can't do that. It's impossible!" Leon groaned as he let go of Layla's hand and dropped down to the net below.

"Then explain how Sora did it!"

"Look, she's a true star, not to mention light. How is a girl supposed to lift me?!"

Layla shrugged and jumped to the net below. "I don't know, but until you get this step, you won't be able to complete the maneuver and you will be considered a failure. Is that what you want?"

She jumped off the net. "I highly recommend you practice that part before tomorrow's session."

Layla walked out of the tent with no other word. Leon got up and sighed. "I don't give a damn. How is a girl going to lift me? It's impossible."

With that, Leon got up and walked away. "I need a break."

He knew it was only an excuse, but he didn't need the pressure right now. Then, a thought came into his mind. _Wait! What is Layla doing here? I wonder..._

Leon ran outside, trying to catch up with the blond. "Layla, hold on!"

Layla turned around. "What?"

"What are you doing here?"

Layla thought about it. "...I had to help a friend."

She tried not to give away anything, and she hoped that she didn't. Layla turned around and continued to walk down the narrow path. "Remember Oswald, practice!"

Her words kept in his mind. _I had to help a friend._ Which one? With that, Leon decided to go back. If it was who he was thinking of, then maybe she was his Juliet. _Sora._

Leon headed back, and continued to practice. It took him the rest of the day to perfect the part. He pushed himself off the trapeze as if it were a hand and lifted himself up, just like a feather. When the sky turned dark, Leon decided that it was time to go home.

He jumped off, feeling confident about the maneuver. As he walked home, he heard various sounds. Cars zoomed by, people chattering, and as he reached his small apartment, he felt relieved that he was close to...his treasure.

* * *

A/N: Explanation anyone? Yes, Leon figured it out. He knows that Sora is close. In fact, when he's at his apartment, she's only four stories above him. Ironic huh? Well, they're going to be in the same chapter soon! I'm so excited and I wonder how it's going to turn out. Again, just please tell me what you think.


	18. Chapter 18: Meeting

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

UPDATE 6/27/08- After I posted this chapter, I read it, and it didn't quite suit my standards. I rewrote a couple of lines and I think it's much better now! Feel free to reread it, and tell me what you think..

* * *

Chapter 18

Meeting

Sora had practiced for the entire month. She had all the scenes down, and the maneuver was taking a turn for the better. However, there is still one thing missing. _Her romeo._

Sora walked down the narrow corridor that led to the open practice room. She dropped Layla off with M. Baldon, and let him watch her. Layla Hamilton, however, was right behind her, reading the script and making sure that everything was correct. Sora turned back.

"When will I find out Layla?"

Layla continued to look down at the script. The lighting was dim and it seemed hard to read, but Layla could make out the names of the cast members. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"My Romeo, Layla. Who is he?"

"You'll find out soon enough. This is the last rehearsal; is it that hard to wait?"

Sora thought about it. "...yes."

"Well, too bad."

Sora sighed and continued to walk down the hallway.

--

Leon's House...

Leon grabbed all of his belongings and a copy of the acts. He had practiced the maneuver with Layla for the past month, and he had it down steadily, but not good enough. He ran out the door, knowing that he would be a little late for the rehearsal. Just in case, he called Layla to make sure. Layla never told him who the other cast members were, but he had a strong feeling that one of them would be his _ex-lover._

With that, Leon took off. He had no idea where the circus was, for he had been practicing in a different facility the whole time. Leon looked up and down the streets, and then looked back down at his directions.

"It should be right around the corner." Leon said to himself as he peeked at his destination from the corner of his eye. "There!"

Leon checked his watch one more time to find that he was only a mere five minutes late, yet he still felt guilty. He boldly approached the small yellow and red tent standing in front of him. It wasn't nearly as big as Kaleido Stage, yet it had a special quality to it.

When he walked in, he found that the stage area was completely deserted. _I'm guessing they're all in the back._ Leon thought to himself as he found the back hallway. He heard sound coming from the end of it, and just then, his heart began to pound. He dreamed and urged for this moment to happen, and now that it is, Leon could hardly breathe he was so nervous. Anxiety filled the hallway as he approached the end. The sounds got louder, and then, the door opened...

--

"Where's my Romeo?" Sora asked as she flipped off the swing and landed on the net below.

"He called and said he would be a little late, don't worry." Layla reassured Sora, once again. She had done that for the past half hour, yet the actual rehearsal just started. (Sora got there early to practice and retouch a few things.) Sora's heart skipped a beat when she heard the door creak open. _Don't tell me it's him. Please don't tell me it--_

Sora couldn't complete her thought. The other cast members cheered as they saw their Romeo. He was very popular, after all this is his hometown. Sora looked behind her shoulder nervously, hoping that it wasn't him.

The figure that she saw was lean, yet with a muscular tone quality. His silver locks flowed gorgeously down to his waist. His smirk on his face was undeniable. And his eyes...were looking straight at her.

Sora quickly turned back. _LEON!! _She jumped down from the net, trying to hide the blush that lit her face just then. She then made her way slowly to the crowd surrounding Leon. Everyone was asking him questions, even Anne. Layla spotted her from behind, and went to help her.

Sora grabbed Layla by the arm and pulled her aside. "Why is Leon here? Don't tell me he is--"

Layla nodded and smiled.

Leon spotted the two bickering from the corner of the room. When he was done answering his questions, he made his way toward them.

Sora was still bickering on and on about how Layla had betrayed her and gone behind her back. Layla, however, talked about how she saw it in Sora's eyes and that she wanted to help.

Leon stood five feet away from them, only staring. "Um, hello?" He greeted.

Unfortunately, they were still fighting and couldn't hear his soft voice. Leon straightened himself up. Then, leaned back and yelled, "Would you two, shut the hell up!"

Layla and Sora stopped and looked at him. Then, Sora stepped forward, a vein popping from her forehead. "Don't tell me to shut up! What the hell are you doing here?"

Leon calmed down and stood back cooly. "Look, I got an offer, I accepted it, and boom, I'm here."

Layla stepped forward. "And again, we deeply appreciate it."

Layla could feel the uneasy-ness of the situation and told them that she would be helping the other cast members. When she left, Leon took a step forward. The silence was horrible, not to mention awkward.

"...Look Sora, I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to--"

"Yea, yea, I get it." Sora turned around to walk away, but Leon stopped her. He grabbed her arm and spinned her around to face him.

"No, but really, she tricked m--"

Leon never had the chance to finish his statement.

"Look, it's partially my fault too. If only I had given you what you wanted...you wouldn't have gone to that brat."

"No, you had nothing to do with it. Don't you see, I'm a selfish man!"

"No you're not. I know you more than anyone." Sora looked into his violet eyes, and saw the passion in them. "And that's why I'll forgive you."

"Really?"

Sora looked at him with her piercing brown hues "But you'll have to work for it!"

Sora giggled for a bit and turned her direction to Layla and the others. "Now, let's practice." She said as she started to walk off. Turning back at him, she saw that his eyes were softer then. Sora's heart skipped a beat.

They walked down to the others together. Both of them had nothing to say. They understood what the other meant and were on even terms. Deep down, they knew that they couldn't live without one another.

Layla stepped out from the crowd. "Good, I see that you two have worked things out, now let's get started!"

Layla redirected the crew and focused on the maneuver. After all, it was one of the climaxes of the performance.

Leon started off on the trapeze to the right, as he jumped off doing graceful flips as his hand finally met Sora's. She smiled at him, and lifted him up. Leon swapped roles with her, and made himself light, flying through the air like an angel with a masculine touch. However, there was a huge difference from his interpretation. When he was up there, he held a rose in his hands, looking down at Sora for a tenth of a second and dove right back down almost falling to the ground. Sora held her hand out, acting as if she were going to catch him, but didn't. Instead, he landed on a trapeze beneath her.

It was her turn now. She jumped off the trapeze that she had been standing on, and landed in his arms bridal style, finishing off the maneuver and the scene.

The cast applauded them for their amazing work together. When the rehearsal was over, both Sora and Leon were satisfied with the performance. They walked out with their heads held high.

When Sora parted from the rest of the cast members to pick up her child, she finally saw the spirit of the stage once again.

"Fool!" She gleamed.

"Sora, you can see me? That's good. Now I can tell you that there is something big lying ahead."

"What?" Sora was excited. She hadn't seen her perverted little friend for awhile.

"I can't tell you that much. But I can tell you one thing." Fool continued.

"And what may that be?"

Fool paused and looked at the entrance to M. Baldon's office. "...It's a secret."

Sora looked at the door. _Uh-oh._ She realized something was wrong. Did she ever tell Leon? "Maybe I should catch up with him."

Sora started to run down the hall, but Fool stopped her. "He's already gone. You'll have a chance later. For now...just be ready."

* * *

A/N: Sorry, I just can't get over the fact that they're in the same chapter! And they're friends. Wow! That's like a double hitter...hehe. Well, near the end, you find out that Sora can see Fool again, but the real question is...do you know what her secret is? (It's pretty obvious.) Well, anyways, tell me what you think.


	19. Chapter 19: Showtime

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: Sorry, I haven't updated. I've been really really busy, and didn't have the chance to write a full chapter. I'll try to post another chapter tomorrow, but I'm not giving any guarantees...sorry. Well, hopefully you like this chapter, a lot happens here and yea.

* * *

Chapter 19

Showtime

Leon sighed as he reached into his pocket for his keys. Today's rehearsal had been tough, knowing that Sora was still a little aggravated at him. He knew he had to gain back her trust somehow. Yes, she had forgiven him, but was that enough? Leon knew her real feelings. She had acted so calm and playful at the practice, but he saw the gloom inside her. When she spoke, her voice didn't have that extra jump to it, and her eyes weren't as determined as before. It's as if she's settled down...but why?

As Leon stuck the keys into the lock, he could hear his name being called out from a distance. He quickly turned the lock and looked up to see the young Ms. Layla Hamilton standing three feet away from him.

"Layla? What are you doing here?" Leon said abruptly after a moment of silence.

She giggled. "I could ask you the same. Sora and I share an apartment here."

Leon felt his hand drop, letting his spare keys dangle from the small, silver ring. "Oh," was all he could muster up before turning back to his keys.

Layla felt the awkward-ness between them and attempted to start a conversation. "So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Leon didn't look back at her. He only nodded as he twisted the doorknob and creaked open his apartment's entrance. When he turned around, he found that Layla had already left, and mentally slapped himself for being so arrogant. He looked off, and found that she had just turned the corner, running up the stairs. At first, he thought about going after her and explaining himself, but decided not too, for there was a possibility that another awkward situation would occur. Instead, he stepped into his single apartment.

Leon sat on his bed, reminiscing of the day's events. A lot had happened, after all. Sora gave him another chance, or so he thought. He also found out that she had been a few floors up the whole time! And on top of that, he just realized that the performance was really tomorrow! Leon laid back on his bed and let out a deep sigh. He found his eyes gently closing as his surroundings became dream-like.

--

Sora's apartment...

"Sora! Where were you?" Layla commanded as she held an empty Chinese container.

"Sorry, I'm late." Sora said as she held her precious daughter up to her chest. "I-I h-had to take care of some things."

Did she really want to tell Layla about Fool? Hmm. She pushed the thought away when she smelled the Chinese food. There wasn't much left, just some leftovers from the night before. She put Layla to bed and headed for the kitchen.

Grabbing the small container and heating it up, she turned to face her friend. "How long have you been here?"

Layla shrugged. "Not long. Though I ran into someone on my way back."

Layla saw Sora tense up at her statement. A small smirk appeared on her face.

As the microwave beeped, signaling that the food was done, Sora took her place behind the small bar that connected the kitchen from the main living area. "A-And w-who would that be?"

Layla smiled. "Did you know that Leon had a house here?"

Sora gulped. She nodded softly.

"As I suspected." Layla hopped off the stool and stood near the large window that looked over the small street. Off in the distance, was the Palace of Versailles. "You still love the guy."

Sora dropped the container on the counter, making some of the food splatter amongst the kitchen. "What are you talking about?" Sora tried to play it cool, but she knew her own feelings too well.

"Then, why did you choose here?"

Sora walked up behind her friend, meeting her by the window. "I guess it just felt like my second home." She whispered. Layla turned around and wrapped her arms around her old partner.

"I understand." Layla felt water seeping through her shirt. She tried to calm Sora down by patting her on her back. "You need to get some rest. You have a big show tomorrow."

Sora wiped up her tears and thanked her, as she headed toward her room. Layla only smiled at her friend's gesture. She looked out the window once more, spotting a familiar silver mane amongst the crowd. Layla smiled.

--

Performance Day (Noon)...

The whole cast had gathered in the practice area to touch a few things in the maneuver and certain scenes. For only having one full rehearsal, they looked pretty good. Various cast members were mumbling amongst themselves about the old lovers.

"They're truly magical together." One commented.

"Yea."

Once they had perfected every scene, Sora went into make-up and hair, while Leon went into the changing area. By 4 o'clock, the circus tent began to fill. Leon glanced out into the crowd, spotting a familiar face staring straight at him.

"Oh no!" He gasped. The young raven-haired Chinese asshole stood up and smirked. Leon found himself ignoring it, and walked backstage to wish Sora good luck. As he passed the other performers, they all stared up at his tall frame in awe. Sora entered on the left side of the stage, as did he. She stood near the opening, just behind the curtain.

Leon crept up behind him, scaring her a bit when he suddenly appeared beside her. She slowly looked up. "Leon?"

He looked down at her, capturing her eyes. "Good luck, Sora."

She put a smile on and a determined look in her eyes. As the music started to play, she found her heart beating fast. This was it! She heard her cue to go up on the stage, swinging softly into the sway of the music. Doing a series of full spins and double pikes surely impressed the audience who were in awe at the point.

When it was Leon's turn to enter, he made every effort to impress them as well, moving along with his partner, Sora. They performed well together; they made the show magical.

They continued to perform everything on cue, including their maneuver, which had gone through perfectly. Leon was surprised that Sora hadn't adlibed yet. As she swirled through the air, she caught a glimpse of him. She gave him a smile and finished off her series.

Monsieur Baldon was truly overjoyed by their performance so far. They had hit every cue! He stood near the crowd yelling, "Bravo!" at every chance he had. He made sure he wasn't too rough though, since he still had to watch over young Layla. She sat in her little crib, playing with a rattle. He took a glimpse at her and whispered, "If only you could see how your parents are performing right now."

Just then, as Sora and Leon hugged each other in mid-air, flower petals dropped down upon them. "Sora, I" Leon couldn't finish his statement, for the ever so bratty May, jumped onto the stage as she did with their first performance.

"Sora!" She yelled as she jumped onto a swing near them.

The crowd began to talk. Was this part of the show? M. Baldon was infuriated. And Sora was as befuddled as everyone else.

Leon let her out of the position as she swung off to another swing. "May?! What are you doing here?!" She yelled as she lunged for the swing, grabbing it a mere second after the Chinese woman took off of it. "Why must you ruin everything!"

"You stole my man!" May yelled as she flipped onto another swing. During this, Leon sat in the middle, only staring at the young girls.

They had done amazing maneuvers without even knowing it! The audience stopped chattering, and looked to the stage. It wasn't part of the script, yet it was still amusing. Romeo had a little love triangle going on!

"He was never yours." Sora shouted. She grabbed for yet another swing. The two girls went at it for a few, breath taking minutes, but Leon finally stepped in, finishing off the scene. He grabbed onto the swing that was in front of his beloved Sora or Juliet and acted like he was sheilding her.

"Fear not, young maiden, there are still oh so many out there that are right for you, however, my one and only lover, is..." He glimpsed at Sora. "Juliet."

May stepped back, shocked at his words. "But Romeo!" She protested.

"Please, leave my sight!" He said it so coldly; she had no other choice but to exit the stage. Humiliated, May ran out of the tent, causing Sora to sigh of victory.

She held onto the swing for a good while, before they resumed with the planned show. As they ended their final act, Leon surprised her with a kiss to his "death." She had an urge to get up and protest that the kiss wasn't necessary, but she knew that her role was supposed to be dead. With that, the show ended.

As the spotlights turned off, the tent was dark for a brief second before the lights shot back on, showing the entire cast. The audience roared with applause, almost causing them to do an encore performance. However, the cast had to leave the stage and get changed backstage.

Sora scurried through the crowded changing area, getting into her normal clothes. She had to pick up Layla before she could meet up with everyone else.

Meanwhile, Leon caught up with May outside. "What were you thinking out there?" He sounded mad.

"I don't know! It's just, for once I wanted to be accepted and when I was with you-" She cried out.

Leon finished her statement. "I understand. But you realize that through your actions, you've managed to let my love run away. Now, I have to get her back." Leon sighed. He had calmed down, seeing that he knew how May felt. The feeling of rejection was hard to take.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Whatever, I have to get back to Sora. Just promise me you'll go back. Sora doesn't want to see you."

Leon stood up and walked into the brightly lit tent. The backstage area had been emptied out, and he was the only one in his costume. As he walked through the empty halls, he spotted a pink head turning the corner. From his instinct, he decided to follow.

As he rounded the corner, he spotted Sora and...a baby?

"Sora?"

Sora turned around, looking surprised. "Leon? I need to tell you something."

To Be Continued...

* * *

A/N: Does anyone know what her secret is? Oh I don't know, maybe it's the fact that she hasn't told Leon that he's a dad! Hehe. Well, sorry for stopping right in the middle of that little situation, and sorry for telling you how it ends...hehe. Well, uh, please review and tell me what you think. I wrote this randomly, and I'm pretty tired right now, so if some of my sentences are random and don't make sense, I'm sorry, and I'll probably edit it later.


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